The Weekend Rip
Happy Weekend!

Volatility defined the week as markets wrestled with a "tale of two AI trades," where massive infrastructure spending fueled semiconductor giants while simultaneously threatening to cannibalize software and logistics margins. CPI positivity provided relief, though a hawkish Fed and abysmal 2025 labor revisions kept a lid on any sustained rally. Ultimately, the "Mag 7" and retail-heavy names like Pinterest faltered under macro pressure, leaving Bitcoin’s late reclaim of $69k as the primary signal of lingering risk appetite.

Let's recap and prep you for the week ahead. 📝

Monday 🚀: Markets climbed as Google issued 100-year "century bonds" to fund a massive $185 billion AI capex plan, while Japan’s Nikkei hit record highs following a historic landslide victory for the pro-growth LDP. YouTube star MrBeast expanded into fintech by acquiring Step to launch "MrBeast Bank," targeting his massive global audience. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk shares jumped after filing a patent lawsuit against Hims & Hers over weight-loss pill "knockoffs."

Tuesday 📉: Major indices faltered as a two-session rebound lost steam, pressured by hawkish Fed commentary and a stall in December retail sales. While the Dow hit a brief record, tech and financials slumped on AI-related debt concerns and weak earnings from heavyweights like Moody’s and Charles Schwab. After-hours, Robinhood and Ford tumbled following earnings misses, even as Spotify and Lyft signaled a shift toward sustained profitability.

Wednesday😐: The S&P 500 flatlined at 0.00% as a surprisingly strong January jobs report—adding 130,000 positions—was neutralized by a massive downward revision showing 2025 was the weakest hiring year since the pandemic. While Robinhood tumbled 12% on cooling crypto fever and Shopify sank despite record revenue, House lawmakers delivered a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Trump by voting to reject his Canadian tariffs.

Thursday 📉: The S&P 500 retreated as a massive "AI fear trade" triggered a rotation out of software and logistics, overshadowing strong earnings from firms like AppLovin and Rivian. Transportation stocks cratered following news of AI-driven productivity gains in brokerage, while macro pressure mounted as January home prices plummeted 8% ahead of critical CPI data.

Friday 🟢: U.S. markets eked out a photo-finish gain as cooling CPI data at 2.4% signaled a potential win against inflation, though the Fed remains poised to hold rates until June. While the "Mag 7" struggled and Pinterest cratered on tariff-driven ad weakness, Applied Materials surged on "unprecedented" AI infrastructure demand. Crypto assets provided a high-beta spark to the finish, with Bitcoin reclaiming $69k as risk appetite flickered back to life.

🤩 This week's Stocktwits Top 25 showed how momentum movers fared vs. the indexes.

Here are the closing prices: 

THE BRIEF

Need a concise summary of what's going on this week? Look no further. Here’s a rundown of this week’s earnings and economic data.

Earnings This Week

Above is a quick summary. Check out the full Stocktwits earnings calendar for the other names reporting this week.

Economic Calendar

In addition to the above, check out this week's complete list of economic releases.

Links That Don’t Suck 🌐

🆘 Join IBD Live and watch experts analyze the market in real time--and save $400 for a limited time*

⚠️ From Hyatt to Holiday Inn, America’s free hotel breakfast is facing a K-shaped economic threat

🏇 ‘Trojan Horse For Crypto’: Reddit Trader Warns CLARITY Act Hands Market Control To Banks

🐶 Dogecoin Rallies Nearly 20% In A Day As Corporate Treasuries Accumulate Millions Of DOGE

🤖 'The dark side of AI': Wall Street weighs recent stock sell-off over disruption fears

Epstein files fallout takes down elite figures in Europe, while U.S. reckoning is muted

*3rd Party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Stocktwits. See disclosure here.

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