Jefferies analysts lowered their price target on Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ:LULU) stock to $185 from $200, coinciding with the outgoing CEO Calvin McDonald's final day at the company.
Shares of Lululemon traded at about $174 on Friday, down almost 60% in the last 12 months.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, XETRA:APC) delivered a strong start to its fiscal 2026, with robust iPhone sales and record device installations driving better-than-expected revenue and profit for its first quarter, according to analysts, though rising memory costs could temper future gains.
Apple reported total revenue of $143.8 billion for its first fiscal quarter, up 16% year-on-year and above Wall Street estimates of $138.4 billion. Earnings per share came in at $2.84, beating the Street’s forecast of $2.68. iPhone revenue surged 23% to $85.3 billion, with China showing standout growth of 38%, fueled by record upgraders, according to analysts.
Citi warned of growing risks in commodities markets, as copper prices surged this week despite what analysts see as weak fundamentals, while oil and gold markets reacted to heightened tension in the Middle East.
In a note first published on Thursday, Tom Mulqueen, Citi’s head of metals research, said copper could rise as high as $15,000-$16,000/t in the coming weeks, driven by Chinese investor flows following precious metals momentum and dollar weakness.
AstraZeneca PLC's (LSE:AZN, NASDAQ:AZN) licensing deal on Friday signals a plausible effort by the FTSE 100 group to grab a piece of a booming market for obesity treatments, analysts said, with still plenty to go far despite the market currently being dominated by rivals Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
The pharmaceutical group agreed to pay China’s CSPC Pharmaceuticals $1.2 billion upfront, with a further $3.5 billion in milestone payments, for rights to eight early-stage weight management and diabetes programmes, including a clinical-ready injectable drug expected to begin trials soon.
Jefferies analysts reiterated a “Buy” rating on Endeavour Mining PLC (LSE:EDV, TSX:EDV, OTCQX:EDVMF, FRA:6E2) after the gold producer capped off 2025 with a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter, while issuing 2026 guidance broadly in line with market expectations.
The brokerage said Endeavour’s fourth-quarter production of 298,000 ounces beat both its own forecast and consensus estimates, noting the company met its FY guidance after a solid finish to the year.
Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB) shares rose nearly 10% to about $735 following its latest earnings report, as Bank of America analysts highlighted accelerating advertising growth and early evidence that artificial intelligence investments are contributing to the company’s core business.
Meta reported fourth-quarter revenue of $59.9 billion and earnings of $8.88 per share, both above consensus estimates, and guided first-quarter revenue of $53.5 billion to $56.5 billion, exceeding Wall Street expectations.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s latest quarterly earnings drew a mixed reaction from analysts, as strong revenue growth driven by Azure and artificial intelligence was tempered by concerns over heavy capital spending and the pace at which AI investments are translating into earnings growth.
The company reported December-quarter revenue of $81.27 billion, beating Wall Street estimates of $80.28 billion, while earnings per share also topped expectations.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, XETRA:APC) is set to report its fiscal first-quarter results on Thursday after the bell, with Wedbush expecting a strong performance following the holiday season and growing investor focus on the company’s artificial intelligence strategy.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives believes the market continues to underestimate Apple’s longer-term growth prospects, calling 2026 a potential turning point for the company’s AI ambitions.
Innodata Inc. (NASDAQ:INOD) shares surged almost 13% on Thursday after the company announced that it has been selected to provide high-quality training data and data engineering services to Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) to support its AI-enabled platforms for rodeo event analysis.
Innodata will provide specialized annotation, multimodal data engineering, and generative-AI workflow support for thousands of hours of rodeo video footage. This work allows Palantir’s AI models to track animals, riders, and movements, automating performance metrics for events like bull riding, bronc riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing while integrating directly into Palantir’s secure development workflows.
Accesso Technology Group PLC (LSE:ACSO, OTC:LOQPF, FRA:LQG) is showing resilient execution and strong cash generation, that's according to analysts at Peel Hunt, reacting to Thursday's trading update.
The attraction ticketing and services firm earlier today revealed FY25 trading was ahead of expectations.
Results from Endeavour Mining PLC (LSE:EDV, TSX:EDV, OTCQX:EDVMF, FRA:6E2) showed rising gold prices more than offset rising costs.
A strong finish to 2025, including record dividend payouts, helped lift sentiment, with Stifel saying the results beat most key metrics.
Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) will report its fourth quarter earnings on February 5, with Jefferies analysts expecting momentum in its advertising business to result in a beat and raise.
The firm said its proprietary advertising checks indicate Reddit continues to benefit from faster growth in performance-based ad products, alongside increased adoption among small- and mid-sized advertisers.
Block Inc (NYSE:SQ) will hand down its fourth quarter earnings next month with expectations skewed toward a modest beat, though Jefferies analysts say the stock will likely need clearer near-term earnings momentum and improved visibility into Square’s profitability trends to move meaningfully higher.
Wall Street analysts, on average, expect revenue to increase to $6.36 billion from $6.03 billion, while earnings per share are expected to decline to $0.65 from $0.71.
Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE:PANW, XETRA:5AP) recently hosted its Quantum-Safe Summit, bringing together experts in quantum computing and cryptography to discuss emerging threats and protections in the era of quantum technology.
The event featured John Martinis, 2025 Physics Nobel Laureate, and Dustin Moody, lead of Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Projects at NIST.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) will report its fiscal second quarter earnings after US markets close, with investors set to be focused on signs that the company can convert its large backlog of AI-related commitments into revenue growth and earnings upside, according to Jefferies analysts.
The firm, which has a ‘Buy’ rating and a $675 price target on Microsoft, believes the company’s valuation has become more attractive after a pullback in the stock.
Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB) is set to report its fourth quarter earnings on Wednesday, with Bank of America analysts expecting a modest beat compared to Street expectations while warning that 2026 expense guidance will be the central focus for investors.
The analysts maintained their ‘Buy’ rating and $810 price target, arguing that current valuations already reflect major AI and infrastructure investment.
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) will report its fourth quarter 2025 earnings on Wednesday after markets close, and Wedbush analysts say investors will be closely watching the company’s progress on autonomous driving and robotics as demand appears to be stabilizing.
Wedbush reiterated its ‘Outperform’ rating on Tesla and set a 12-month price target of $600, citing improving delivery trends and the company’s “AI transformation” driven by autonomous and robotics initiatives.
The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates steady at 3.75% when policymakers meet next week, though another tight vote looks likely as the case for easing builds.
After the narrow 5-4 vote in favour of a cut in the December monetary policy committee meeting, UBS economist Anna Titareva reckons Governor Andrew Bailey and key deputy governors are likely to vote for a hold, swayed by still-elevated wage pressures and a lack of cracks in the jobs market.
Earnings from ASML Holding NV (XETRA:ASME, NASDAQ:ASML) on Wednesday reminded the market why it sits at the centre of the global semiconductor cycle, delivering a surge in orders that dwarfed expectations and underpinned an upgrade to guidance for the 2026 financial year.
The chipmaking equipment maker's headline was bookings, as new orders reached €13.2 billion in the fourth quarter, almost double consensus and far ahead of analyst assumptions.
McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD, XETRA:MDO) is set to report fourth quarter financial results in line with Wall Street estimates, according to Jefferies analysts, who see limited potential for near-term surprises but continued market share gains in the US.
For the quarter, Jefferies expects US same-store sales growth of about 4.5% and earnings per share of roughly $3, both close to consensus estimates.
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) will report its fourth quarter earnings on February 5 and Bank of America analysts expect the company to top the Wall Street consensus on both revenue and profit.
The analysts estimate Q4 revenue of $213 billion and operating income of $26 billion, compared with the Street’s consensus of $211 billion and $24.6 billion, respectively.
The US earnings season heats up this week, with investors turning their attention to the first reports from the so-called “Magnificent 7” tech giants, care of Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, XETRA:APC). After the S&P 500 posted its first two-week losing streak since June, all eyes are on these mega-cap companies, whose results could determine the trajectory of the broader market.
The Magnificent 7—Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD), Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Tesla, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN)—have driven significant S&P 500 gains in recent years. Last year, they contributed more than 40% of the index’s total return, and three of the top five contributors to year-on-year earnings growth were Magnificent 7 firms. Analysts expect the group to report blended earnings growth of more than 20% for the last quarter, compared with just 4.1% for the rest of the S&P 500.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) reported mixed fourth quarter results Tuesday, delivering adjusted earnings that beat Wall Street expectations but posting a substantial net loss driven by one-time charges tied to its electric vehicle strategy.
The Detroit automaker said it earned $2.51 per share on an adjusted basis for the fourth quarter, above the $2.20 per share average estimate compiled by LSEG.
As gold prices surged past $5,000 an ounce in early 2026, major banks raise their upside forecasts as they reassessed the scale and sustainability of the rally for the safe haven metal.
Deutsche Bank now sees gold reaching $6,000/oz, driven by rising investment demand and a fundamental shift in the geopolitical and macroeconomic backdrop.
Analysts at Citi see AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN, NASDAQ:AZN) as 'the top pick' among European pharmaceutical firms'.
The FTSE 100 drugmaker is forecast by Citi to achieve the fastest mid-term growth in the sector, supported by both existing products and pipeline assets.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:CMG) will hand down its fourth quarter earnings on February 3, with UBS analysts expecting the fast casual restaurant chain's results to reflect continued pressure from industry and macroeconomic challenges, alongside signs of improvement heading into 2026.
“For CMG’s Q4 earnings, we expect pressured sales and earnings given industry and macro challenges, but with trends improving into Q1 and likely a better 2026 setup,” the analysts wrote.
Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX, XETRA:SRB) will report its fiscal first quarter earnings on Wednesday, with investors watching closely for signs the coffee giant’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround is gaining tractions, according to UBS analysts.
The firm maintained a ‘Neutral’ rating and price target of $94 on Starbucks ahead of its report, in line with current levels.
Power Metallic Mines Inc (TSX-V:PNPN, FRA:IVV1, OTCQB:PNPNF) has drawn positive attention from analysts after releasing preliminary metallurgical test results from its Lion Zone at the Nisk Project in Quebec.
The lab-scale Locked Cycle Test (LCT) demonstrated exceptional recoveries of copper (98.9%), palladium (93.9%), platinum (96.8%), gold (85.0%), and silver (88.9%), generating a high-grade copper concentrate of 25.8%.
The winter storm that blanketed large swaths of North America over the weekend is likely to deliver a significant hit to US economic growth in the first quarter of 2026, potentially shaving between 0.5 and 1.5 percentage points off annualized GDP growth, according to Bank of America.
The bank said its initial estimate is based on historical comparisons with Winter Storm Viola, which disrupted large parts of the US in February 2021 and led to a sharp, though temporary, pullback in consumer spending.
RBC Capital Markets has downgraded Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL), citing growing concerns over portfolio longevity, gas exposure and the outlook for LNG trading margins.
The bank said Shell has delivered well on its strategy since the 2023 capital markets day, with management focusing on capital discipline and shareholder returns, while de-emphasising renewables.