Caterpillar Shares Gain Amid Insider Sale, Tariff Warning Ahead of Holiday
Markets Daniel Marsh

Caterpillar Shares Gain Amid Insider Sale, Tariff Warning Ahead of Holiday

Caterpillar shares advanced 2.1% to $774.20 Friday following its annual report filing and an insider transaction, while management highlighted tariff headwinds and data-center demand.

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Cloud ETFs Gain on Softer Inflation Data Ahead of Holiday
Markets Daniel Marsh

Cloud ETFs Gain on Softer Inflation Data Ahead of Holiday

Cloud-focused exchange-traded funds advanced roughly 2.6% on Friday, led by the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY), following softer U.S. inflation figures and a dip in Treasury yields. Trading resumes Tuesday after the Presidents Day holiday.

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Defense Stocks Rally Ahead of Holiday; AST SpaceMobile Unveils $1B Financing
Markets Daniel Marsh

Defense Stocks Rally Ahead of Holiday; AST SpaceMobile Unveils $1B Financing

U.S. defense and space equities advanced Friday, led by Lockheed Martin and Huntington Ingalls, while AST SpaceMobile announced a major $1 billion financing initiative. Markets are closed Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

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Communication Sector Stalls as Ad Worries Offset Gains
Markets Daniel Marsh

Communication Sector Stalls as Ad Worries Offset Gains

Communication services stocks lacked momentum entering a holiday-shortened week, with the sector's main ETF finishing essentially unchanged. Heavyweight internet stocks declined while telecom and media names provided some support.

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Data Center Stocks Split as Nvidia Dips, Dell and Arista Gain Ahead of Key Data
Markets Daniel Marsh

Data Center Stocks Split as Nvidia Dips, Dell and Arista Gain Ahead of Key Data

Data center stocks showed mixed performance Friday, with Nvidia declining 2.2% while Dell and Arista Networks gained over 4%. Markets await Walmart earnings and critical economic data.

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Quantum Computing Stocks Rally Ahead of Key Earnings Reports
Technology Sarah Chen

Quantum Computing Stocks Rally Ahead of Key Earnings Reports

Quantum computing equities advanced Friday, led by Rigetti Computing and IonQ, as investors looked past a downgrade and toward upcoming quarterly results. Markets are closed Monday for the holiday.

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Tech Sell-Off Deepens Ahead of Key Fed, Nvidia Events
Markets Daniel Marsh

Tech Sell-Off Deepens Ahead of Key Fed, Nvidia Events

Major technology stocks retreated sharply ahead of the holiday weekend, with Apple and Nvidia posting significant losses. The sell-off reflects growing investor anxiety over massive AI investments and margin pressures.

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Ucore Rare Metals Lags TSX Rally Ahead of Holiday Pause
Commodities Rebecca Torres

Ucore Rare Metals Lags TSX Rally Ahead of Holiday Pause

Ucore Rare Metals shares edged lower Friday, diverging from a broad commodity-led rally on the TSX. Trading pauses Monday for Family Day and Presidents' Day.

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Natural Gas Market Braces for Volatility Amid Conflicting Demand Signals
Commodities Rebecca Torres

Natural Gas Market Braces for Volatility Amid Conflicting Demand Signals

U.S. natural gas prices ended the week lower despite a Friday gain, as traders weigh strong LNG export demand against forecasts for warmer late-February weather. Market attention turns to storage data and pipeline constraints.

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Applied Materials Forecast Lifts Chip Equipment Sector Amid Mixed AI Trade
Earnings James Calloway

Applied Materials Forecast Lifts Chip Equipment Sector Amid Mixed AI Trade

Applied Materials jumped 8% Friday after issuing a quarterly outlook above analyst estimates, citing accelerating AI investments. The iShares Semiconductor ETF rose 0.9% while Nvidia and Broadcom slipped.

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Rivian Soars 27% on Strong 2026 Delivery Outlook for R2 SUV
Markets Daniel Marsh

Rivian Soars 27% on Strong 2026 Delivery Outlook for R2 SUV

Rivian Automotive shares jumped 26.6% to $17.73 following an optimistic 2026 delivery forecast centered on its lower-priced R2 SUV. U.S. markets are closed Monday for Presidents Day.

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Oil Markets Brace for Supply Shifts as Venezuela Sanctions Ease, OPEC+ Mulls Output Hike
Commodities Rebecca Torres

Oil Markets Brace for Supply Shifts as Venezuela Sanctions Ease, OPEC+ Mulls Output Hike

Energy markets prepare for a volatile week with potential supply increases from Venezuela and OPEC+ discussions, while delayed U.S. inventory data adds uncertainty. Major oil shares showed mixed performance.

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