Market Signal Briefing

HBAR Selling Pressure at its Highest in 2026, Will Long Traders Face LiquidationHBAR selling pressure peaks in 2026 as bearish momentum strengthensLong traders risk liquidation if HBAR loses 0.114 support levelDowntrend persists unless HBAR reclaims 0.125 to reverse structure decisivelyHedera price continues to trend lower as sustained selling pressure weighs on market structure. HBAR has remained locked in a prolonged downtrend, limiting recovery attempts. 

Recent data shows sellers firmly in control, pushing HBAR toward critical support zones as confidence weakens among short-term and leveraged traders.

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Hedera Holders SellMarket sentiment around HBAR remains decisively bearish. The Money Flow Index indicates persistent selling pressure across recent sessions.

The indicator has dropped below the neutral 50.0 threshold and now sits in negative territory, signaling capital outflows dominating inflows.

This reading suggests investors remain skeptical about a near-term recovery.

Furthermore, when MFI stays suppressed, it reflects declining demand and reduced risk appetite. Such conditions often precede continued price weakness, especially when momentum fails to shift back toward accumulation.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

HBAR MFI. Source: TradingViewSponsored

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Macro data reinforces the downside risk facing Hedera. Liquidation maps show growing vulnerability among long traders.

However, if HBAR loses the immediate $0.114 support level, approximately $1.07 million in long positions could be liquidated. This would accelerate selling pressure.

Further downside would amplify the impact. A break below $0.112 could trigger over $2.71 million in long liquidations. These forced exits would add to market stress, intensifying bearish momentum and discouraging new long positions from entering the market.

HBAR Price Analysis. Source: TradingViewHBAR Price Remains Under DowntrendHBAR price has remained in a clear downtrend for nearly two months. At the time of writing, the token trades near $0.117. Price is holding marginally above the $0.114 support level, which has acted as a short-term defense against deeper losses.

Given prevailing bearish momentum, the probability of losing this support remains elevated. Thus, a breakdown below $0.114 would likely trigger the expected liquidations. Nevertheless, a move could drive HBAR toward $0.109, reinforcing the broader downward structure.

HBAR Price Analysis. Source: TradingViewAlthough a recovery scenario remains possible. If bullish momentum returns and selling pressure fades, HBAR could move higher. A sustained push above $0.120 would improve sentiment. Furthermore, breaching $0.125 would invalidate the bearish thesis, signaling renewed strength and short-term trend reversal.

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House Democrats have accused the SEC of abandoning many high-profile investigations, including its legal battle with Ripple, which has brought attention back to the agency’s handling of crypto enforcement. 

The claims, which were outlined in a January 15 letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, raised questions about why several cases were dropped after favorable court rulings and whether political relationships played any role in those decisions. However, according to crypto attorney Bill Morgan, these cases are wrapped up, done, and dusted.

Lawmakers Say SEC Walked Away From Major Crypto Cases In a January 15, 2026 letter addressed to Atkins, House Democrats accused the agency of dramatically scaling back crypto enforcement since early 2025. The lawmakers claimed the SEC has dismissed or closed more than a dozen major crypto-related cases, including actions against Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and Ripple, despite having received favorable court rulings in some of those matters. 

According to the letter, companies whose cases or investigations were dismissed donated at least $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration. This raises concerns about an unmistakable inference of a pay-to-play scheme, investor protection and market integrity at a time when digital assets are starting to become deeply intertwined with capital markets.

BTCUSD now trading at $95,116. Chart: TradingView Much of the letter’s criticism was focused on the SEC’s decision to seek and maintain a stay in its case against Justin Sun, which has now been in place for about 11 months now. Unlike all the other cases, the SEC’s case against Justin Sun has not yet been dismissed. Democratic Lawmakers claimed this move sends a dangerous signal that political connections may influence enforcement outcomes. 

The letter explicitly referenced Sun’s reported financial ties to businesses linked to Donald Trump. One of which was Sun’s reveal in September 2025 that he was purchasing an additional $10 million worth of $WLFI tokens from World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump family business. 

According to the democrats, such circumstances could undermine public trust in the SEC’s independence. The Letter also seeks information related to the SEC’s knowledge of Sun’s ties to the People’s Republic of China and any CCP-affiliated persons or entities.

Crypto Lawyer Pushes Back On Ripple Lawsuit Talk The letter by House Democrats brings into focus whether political pressure could lead to a new action against Ripple and other firms. However, according to Morgan, this is not possible.

Morgan dismissed the idea that the SEC could simply relaunch cases it has already litigated or closed on the same grounds, pointing to the legal doctrine of res judicata. Under that principle, once a matter has been conclusively decided between the same parties, it cannot be retried on identical issues.

“Too bad the SEC can’t go against those companies again on the same matters. Res Judicata baby. Live with it fools,” he said.

Still, one unresolved question hangs over the broader controversy. Unlike the other crypto cases cited in the lawmakers’ letter, the SEC’s action against Justin Sun has not been formally dismissed and can be revisited anytime.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

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Glassnode says the push toward $96,000 was driven by leverage, while CryptoQuant warns demand remains too weak to confirm a trend reversal.

By PYMNTS  |  January 18, 2026

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Bitcoin accumulation among medium and large investors is reportedly at a three-year high.

That figure has reached its strongest monthly level since the cryptocurrency collapse that accompanied FTX’s bankruptcy in late 2022, Coindesk reported Sunday (Jan. 18).

In the last 30 days, investors holding between 10 and 1,000 bitcoin, otherwise known as the “Fish-to-Shark” category — have accumulated around 111,000 bitcoin, the report said, citing information from Glassnode. 

That’s the largest increase of its kind since the price of bitcoin plunged to around $15,000 in late 2022, Coindesk added. The Fish-to-Shark cohort, the report said, are high-net worth investors, trading desks, and institutional-sized groups, and now control nearly 6.6 million coins, compared about 6.4 million two months ago.

However, smaller holders, or “Shrimps,” are also bolstering their balances, having accumulated more than 13,000 bitcoin, the biggest increase since late November 2023, bringing this group’s total holdings to roughly 1.4 million coins. 

Both groups, the report contend, seem to be seeing deep value, which could signal widespread demand across the market.

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In other crypto news, PYMNTS wrote last week about the trouble lawmakers are having in getting new digital asset legislation passed.

Both the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), had set Jan. 15 for a synchronized markup on two variations of a measure regulating crypto markets in the U.S.

But that ended up not happening after both financial services industry groups and crypto groups raised a series of unresolved issues.

“For policymakers, the result represented a classic Washington dynamic: The louder the stakeholder chorus, the more challenging it becomes to discern a policy position,” the report added. “In this case, industry opposition to specific provisions has been enough to stall what observers had hoped would be a landmark piece of policy regulating digital asset markets and building on the momentum of the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act, which was signed into law over the summer.”

The tension here is not only between crypto firms and regulators; it also reflects long-running friction between the crypto industry and the traditional banking space. Banks have campaigned against crypto offerings that resemble deposit products, particularly stablecoin rewards that, in their minds, compete with regulated interest accounts. 

“This banking pushback has seeped into the legislative text, prompting provisions aimed at limiting crypto incentives, which were a key flashpoint for Coinbase and other developers of stablecoin-based products,” PYMNTS added.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse urged sustained, constructive engagement with Washington as crypto market structure talks stall, arguing the industry is close to regulatory clarity and should keep pushing lawmakers toward workable rules for U.S. digital assets.

XRP slid sharply below key support as a broad crypto sell-off intensified, wiping out leveraged positions, driving extreme oversold signals, and exposing mounting macro and regulatory stress that continues to weigh on digital asset prices. XRP Breaks Below $2.00 as Selling Pressure Accelerates At 8:13 p.m., XRP is trading near $1.95 against the U.S.

Leading cryptocurrencies plunged on Sunday, and stock futures slipped as investors grew wary of President Donald Trump’s tariff threat against the European Union over Greenland.

CryptocurrencyGains +/-Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)-2.51%$92,580.51Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)
               -2.79%$3,211.73XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                         -5.17%$1.95Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                         -6.06%$133.84Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)             -7.81%$0.1267Crypto Market Sees Sharp Sell-OffBitcoin dived from $95,000 to $92,000 overnight, triggering a sell-off across the broader market. Ethereum also tumbled from $3,350 to $3,200 in a space of 90 minutes. 

Over $780 million was liquidated from the market in the last 24 hours, according to Coinglass, with $750 million in levered longs wiped out.

Bitcoin's open interest fell 1.08% in the last 24 hours, while more than 65% of Binance traders with open BTC positions were long as of this writing.

The market sentiment worsened from "Neutral" to "Fear," according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

Cryptocurrency (Market Cap>$100 M)Gains +/-Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)Frax (FRAX )  +33.81%    $1.15River (RIVER )                 +31.04%      $27.02Magic Eden (ME )           +17.45%      $0.2796The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.23 trillion, contracting by 1.26% in the last 24 hours.

Stock Futures Slip After Trump’s Tariff ThreatStock futures ticked lower on Sunday evening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures fell 341 points, or 0.69%, as of 8 p.m. EDT.  Futures tied to the S&P 500 dipped 0.80%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures slid 1.01%.

Investors factored in increasing geopolitical risks as Trump said that he could use tariffs to pressure countries into backing U.S. control of Greenland, calling the Arctic island vital to national security.

The precious metal surge continued, with spot gold reaching a fresh all-time high of $4,680 per ounce and silver surging past $93 per ounce.

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be closed on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Ethereum Could Hit $4,000?Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez noted Ethereum consolidating in an ascending triangle pattern on its daily chart.

"As long as price holds above the $3,085 support level, a break above the $3,400 resistance could trigger a move toward $3,660, with a potential extension to $4,000," Martinez said.

Ted Pillows, another popular market commentator, highlighted how Bitcoin dominance failed in reclaiming its 200-Day Simple Moving Average, around 59%.

"Since September, Bitcoin dominance has been consistently forming higher lows. Until this changes, most alts will continue to underperform despite BTC's bullish price action," Pillows projected.

Photo: KateStock / Shutterstock

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These elite growth stocks can help you build wealth for retirement.

The technology sector is where you want to look for superior growth stocks in 2026. Cloud service providers continue to see insatiable demand for AI services. This is creating a strong demand environment for tech companies throughout the supply chain in the AI infrastructure market.

Here are two AI stocks that can deliver wealth-building returns over the next decade.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Advanced Micro Devices Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +1.79%) is one of the top chip suppliers for the consumer PC market and data centers. Over the last two years, its revenue has grown at an annualized rate of over 20%, supporting rising share prices for investors. However, as AMD invests more in the AI infrastructure opportunity, management believes its growth will accelerate significantly.

Wall Street analysts expect AMD to report $34 billion in revenue for 2025. AMD's long-term outlook calls for its annual revenue to grow 35% on a compound annual basis over the next three to five years.

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AMD enters 2026 with its largest business lines enjoying strong momentum. Data center revenue continues to grow strongly, reaching a record $4.3 billion in the third quarter. AMD expects its data center business to grow revenue at a rate of over 60% on an annualized basis in the next five years.

One key differentiator for AMD in the chip industry is its diversified portfolio, which includes central processing units (CPUs). Its Ryzen processors continue to gain share against Intel in the consumer market, with client segment revenue hitting a record $2.8 billion in Q3, representing a 46% year-over-year increase.

AMD's gaming business is also heating up again, pulling in $1.3 billion of revenue last quarter, nearly tripling over the year-ago quarter. Over the next several years, growth is expected to be more modest for client and gaming, but still solid contributors to the top line. Management's long-term forecast anticipates these segments to grow revenue at an annual rate of over 10%, with continued market share gains in the PC market, driven by its lineup of Ryzen processors.

Another huge opportunity waiting in the wings is AMD's portfolio of adaptive computing chips, including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and other specialized products. This gives AMD a unique edge over competitors in providing solutions for AI running remotely on edge computing devices.

Altogether, AMD benefits from multiple avenues for chip demand. There's enough opportunity across its business to deliver excellent returns to investors. Analysts expect the company's earnings to grow at an annualized rate of 45% in the coming years.

2. Microsoft Microsoft (MSFT +0.77%) has a lucrative ecosystem of productivity tools, cloud services, and other professional services that serve a large base of users. It serves millions, if not billions, of users, with many services, such as Microsoft 365, generating consistent revenue through subscriptions.

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Its subscription-based business model generates substantial revenue, which fuels investment in innovation. Microsoft spent $69 billion in capital expenditures over the last year, all of which was internally funded out of its $147 billion in trailing cash from operations. These investments have enabled the development of a world-class array of AI chips, systems, and cloud software. It's no surprise to see that Microsoft Cloud revenue grew 26% year over year in its most recently reported quarter, reaching $46 billion.

Its large fleet of data centers powers the cloud services behind all its products, and is helping drive significant growth across its business. Microsoft 365, including Office software, has over 400 million paid subscribers, while its Copilot AI assistant has more than 100 million monthly active users.

AI remains a key driver for the Microsoft Azure cloud business. Azure revenue grew 40% year over year last quarter, a remarkable growth rate for a company that generated $75 billion in revenue for fiscal 2025 (which ended in June).

Microsoft is spending aggressively on AI infrastructure, while still reporting healthy profitability. Operating profit grew 24% year over year last quarter, higher than its 18% top-line growth rate. Microsoft's huge installed base of users and technology infrastructure will make it a formidable player in an AI-driven economy. Analysts expect the company's earnings to grow at a rate of 13% per year.

National Football League (NFL) stock doesn't exist, but here are two great stocks that have ties to the NFL.

If the National Football League (NFL) had a stock, it would probably be a big long-term winner. The NFL is, by far, the world's most profitable professional sports league. Viewership of NFL games has increased significantly over the decades, and Americans overwhelmingly name football as their favorite professional sport to watch on TV.

Moreover, the NFL has a reputation for being an early and rapid adopter of technology to enhance the fan experience, improve teams' profitability, and increase league efficiency.

In fiscal year 2024 (ended March 31, 2025), the NFL's total revenue exceeded $23 billion. Each of the league's 32 teams reportedly received a $416 million distribution from the league's national media, sponsorship, and licensing revenue, up 8.9% from the prior year.

Given this weekend is the NFL's divisional round of the playoffs, I thought it would be fun and timely to write about top stock buys with ties to the NFL. (Saturday's two games and the first Sunday game are over as this article is about to publish. Sunday's Los Angeles Rams vs Chicago Bears game started at 6:30 p.m. ET.)

Image source: Getty Images.

2 top tech stocks to buy now CompanyMarket CapForward P/E RatioWall Street's Annualized 5-Year EPS Growth Estimate1-Year Stock Return10-Year Stock ReturnAmazon (AMZN +0.40%)$2.6 trillion29.520.6%8.4%739%Nvidia (NVDA 0.29%)$4.5 trillion24.349.3%39.4% 28,097% (not a typo!)

S&P 500 Index------18.4%339% Data sources: Yahoo! Finance, finviz.com, and YCharts. P/E = price to earnings. EPS = earnings per share. YTD = year to date. Data to Jan. 16, 2026.

Amazon: The NFL's primary cloud computing partner and exclusive streamer of "Thursday Night Football" Amazon is best known among the public as the world's largest e-commerce company. But the company's cloud computing service, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is its segment that drives its profitability.

Since 2017, AWS -- the world's largest cloud computing service -- has been the NFL's primary cloud partner. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, AWS analyzes massive amounts of player and football tracking data to deliver real-time game stats and insights to fans, teams, and broadcasters via the NFL's "Next Gen Stats." AWS also analyzes data to help the league and teams prevent player injuries.

In 2024, the NFL and AWS expanded their partnership, which included generative AI capabilities. Generative AI, which greatly expanded AI's capabilities, came to the attention of business owners and consumers when OpenAI launched its extremely popular generative AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, in late 2022.

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Amazon has another noteworthy tie to the NFL. In 2022, Amazon began an 11-year deal with the NFL, granting Amazon Prime Video exclusive streaming rights to the NFL's "Thursday Night Football" ("TNF"). This deal made Amazon Prime Video the first streamer to secure exclusive media rights to NFL games.

Are Amazon's NFL ties alone enough of a reason to buy Amazon stock? Of course not. But it seems telling that the tech-savvy NFL could use one of several major cloud computing companies – the top three also include Alphabet's Google Cloud and Microsoft's Azure – and has stayed with Amazon since the get-go.

Moreover, Amazon's shelling out some huge bucks -- reportedly about $1 billion per year -- to acquire the exclusive streaming rights to "TNF" demonstrates its commitment to making its Prime paid-subscription membership appealing and "sticky."

Nvidia: Various AI, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) ties with the NFL Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) are the dominant chips for AI training and inference (or application deployment), including in data centers operated by cloud computing companies. As such, Nvidia's tech is widely used by the NFL via cloud computing services, as discussed above.

Beyond that, various NFL teams have also used Nvidia's GPUs for virtual reality (VR) applications. In 2016, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used Nvidia tech to give fans and potential sponsors VR tours of its new stadium, which was being renovated. Specifically, Nvidia's programming model, CUDA, and its then-new GeForce GTX 1080 GPU were used. Here's what an Nvidia blog had to say about this unique experience:

While the new Raymond James Stadium is under construction, current and prospective ticket holders can use a virtual reality headset to experience the new stadium before it opens in September. The realistic preview is also valuable in attracting potential sponsors by helping executives visualize their company's logo inside the stadium.

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Various NFL teams are using VR, often with Nvidia tech, to train players, particularly quarterbacks. VR provides realistic virtual simulations of scenarios they could encounter during games.

Moreover, many, if not most, broadcasters also use Nvidia tech for augmented reality (AR) and other applications to enhance the viewing experience.

Are Nvidia's NFL ties alone enough of a reason to buy Nvidia stock? As with my answer for Amazon, of course not. However, Nvidia's NFL ties -- and there are many more than I covered -- demonstrate how widely adopted Nvidia tech is and how pervasive it is all around us.

Venezuela's oil market is understandably tempting investors, but is it so simple to bet on the country's oil opportunity?

It's been almost two weeks since the U.S. captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which understandably prompted investors to closely examine the energy sector and oil markets, as the South American nation is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Venezuela has 303 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, making it one of the world's most coveted oil producers. One of the interesting factoids thrown around in the wake of Maduro's capture is that Venezuela's oil is worth more than the combined value of all the world's economies except the U.S. and China. That's a lot of oil and a lot of dollars.

Investors need to be selective with oil stocks when it comes to playing Venezuela. Image source: Getty Images.

Even with that, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE +0.17%), one of the bellwether energy sector exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is up just 1.54% since the U.S. took Maduro into custody. That's an anecdote, but it confirms that investors need to be inquisitive before expecting Venezuelan bets to pay off. Here are three questions to answer before placing those wagers.

Are you considering energy stock Chevron? Shares of Chevron (CVX +0.06%) are outpacing the SPDR ETF since the U.S. incursion in Venezuela, and the logic behind the oil major's 2% move since then is understandable. It boils down to the company maintaining a footprint in the Latin American country after rivals departed nearly two decades ago, when then-President Hugo Chavez nationalized Venezuela's oil industry.

As the company itself said, it plays a long game, and it could be rewarded for that patience if output there ramps up in the years ahead. Chevron already has boots on the ground and existing infrastructure in the country, giving it a head start over rivals.

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Speaking of competitors, ExxonMobil (XOM +0.59%) appears willing to investigate Venezuelan opportunities. Still, CEO Darren Woods told President Donald Trump earlier this month that as things stand today, the country is "uninvestable." That could be one sign Chevron rivals won't be quick to enter Venezuela.

Are you considering an oil services stock? Working on the premise that Chevron will maintain a quasi-monopoly in Venezuela, at least among Western oil majors, investors might do well to divert their attention away from exploration and production companies and focus on other industries, including oil services providers.

SLB (SLB +0.34%), formerly Schlumberger, is said to be the leading contender to secure the first services contracts because it maintained a Venezuelan footprint after Chavez's nationalization. Still, there may be more competition in Venezuela among oil services names than integrated companies.

For example, Halliburton (HAL 0.64%) CEO Jeff Miller says oil services providers face less risk in Venezuela than producers, adding that his company can move quickly to return to work in the country.

The technological know-how of companies like Halliburton and SLB is pivotal if Venezuela hopes to recapture lost output glory. In the late 1990s, the country was pumping 3.5 million barrels per day, but mismanagement and underinvestment sent that figure to roughly 1 million today.

Are you remembering refiners? Investors willing to exercise Chevron-esque patience with Venezuela may also want to consider refiners. The petroleum found there is classified as extra-heavy and heavy, meaning it needs to be heavily refined before it's suitable for export to any country with strict environmental standards. That process is also costly.

Refining equities to consider include Marathon Petroleum (MPC 1.10%), Phillips 66 (PSX 1.24%), and Valero Energy (VLO 0.66%).

Asking these 3 questions before trying to capitalize on this recent oil opportunity will help steer investors in the right direction.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Small, pure-play companies and tech leaders are involved in this field.

Investors looking for the next revolutionary technology have turned their attention to quantum computing in recent times. Quantum computing works differently from classical computing as it relies on the rules of quantum mechanics. Instead of using bits to process information, quantum computers use qubits. They have the ability to scale exponentially and solve problems that are out of reach for today's classical machines.

Of course, building and operating a quantum computer isn't easy, and researchers face many challenges today, such as the fragility of qubits and the common appearance of errors. But both pure-play quantum companies and tech giants are making progress and generating impressive results. And once quantum computing reaches the stage of being generally useful, some of these players may deliver explosive growth.

With this in mind, let's check out the best quantum computing stock to own for the next five years.

Image source: Getty Images.

A well-established tech giant Though pure players are exciting and offer incredible opportunity for gains, certain well-established tech powerhouses that also are exploring quantum are better suited to any portfolio. By this, I mean that such a stock could appeal to investors who don't mind risk as well as to those who are risk-averse.

This potential winner is Alphabet (GOOG 0.85%) (GOOGL 0.80%), owner of the Google platform. Google drives Alphabet's revenue through advertising -- advertisers rush to connect with us across the Google platform as we search for information and navigate the internet.

This, along with a growing cloud business -- Google Cloud -- generates billions of dollars in quarterly revenue for the company. In the most recent period, Alphabet even reached a milestone, delivering more than $100 billion in a quarter for the first time.

All of this offers investors a certain degree of safety as they can rely on these proven businesses and their ability to generate growth.

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Quantum computing accomplishments Meanwhile, Alphabet also has been investing in the area of quantum computing and has announced some exciting accomplishments. In late 2024, the company introduced its quantum chip, Willow, and said the chip has already demonstrated the ability to reduce errors exponentially as qubits scale up. This is fantastic as it addresses a key challenge in the quantum space.

And just recently, Alphabet demonstrated the ability of a quantum computer, when running an algorithm, to surpass the performance of a classical platform. The Quantum Echoes algorithm studied two molecules in a proof-of-principle experiment -- the results matched those of traditional systems, and the quantum process delivered additional information. This represents another step toward the general usefulness of this cutting-edge technology.

So, right now, with Alphabet trading for only 29x forward earnings estimates, is a fantastic time to get in on this stock and hold on for five years as the quantum story unfolds.

Software stocks have been pummeled to start 2026.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) space continues to be in turmoil lately over fears of disruption from artificial intelligence (AI). However, these fears look overblown.

Let's look at five software stocks to buy now.

Image source: Getty Images.

AppLovin Although AppLovin (APP 6.30%) has been one of the biggest AI winners, it hasn't been spared from the recent software stock sell-off. The stock price is up 71% over the past year, but it currently trades nearly 22% below its 52-week high.

The sell-off doesn't make a lot of sense given the rapid revenue growth being generated by the launch of its AI-powered Axon-2 adtech platform. This segment of the business grew 68% year over year last quarter, which helped expand gross margins and surge profitability.

AppLovin management is now looking to expand the platform beyond its core mobile gaming market and launch a self-serve ad manager, both of which should be growth catalysts.

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Salesforce As AI becomes mainstream, Salesforce (CRM 2.75%) is looking to become a leader in agentic AI. The company has made some smart moves to establish itself in this emerging field. First, it launched Data Cloud (now Data 360), which can source data from cloud computing providers and database warehouses, and then it acquired master data management company Informatica. This allows Salesforce to become the master record of an organization's data from which its AI agents can draw information and perform accordingly.

The moves being made should significantly reduce AI hallucinations, making Salesforce a prime agentic AI solution. The stock is trading down about 28% over the past year, in part due to investor concerns about slowing core growth and increased competition. That drop also means the stock is cheap, trading at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of below 5 and a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 18.

Workday In the age of AI, clean, organized data is becoming increasingly important, and Workday (WDAY 3.06%) has the "largest and cleanest" human resource and finance database in the world, according to its management. This is important, and it positions the company to continue to be a vital player in the software space.

Workday is also introducing AI agents and tools to help customers in the areas of finance, legal, and human resources, and recently acquired a company called Paradox, whose AI solution makes the hiring process easier. The company is growing its subscription revenue in the mid-teens, and it has a ton of cash on its balance sheet.

Workday stock is trading down almost 24% over the past year, but that also means the stock is cheap, trading at a forward P/S ratio of below 5 times and a forward P/E of 18.

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GitLab GitLab (GTLB 1.75%), which operates a DevSecOps (development, security, and operations) platform that enables customers to securely develop software, has seen its stock struggle (down about 45% over the past year) as investors worry that AI will lead to fewer coders, potentially negatively impacting its business.

That hasn't shown up thus far, with the company consistently growing its revenue by 25% or more, led by an increasing enterprise customer count and seat expansion from existing customers. The launch of its Duo Agent solution, which can help developers write code and perform other daily tasks, and a new hybrid seat-plus-usage-based pricing model could both be growth catalysts. Meanwhile, the stock is also cheap, trading at a forward P/S multiple of under 5.5 times.

UiPath After a strong rally in late November, UiPath's (PATH 3.18%) stock has also gotten caught up in the software sell-off and is trading down about 24% from its 52-week high. However, the company has a huge opportunity in front of it as it transitions to become an AI orchestration platform.

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With companies like Salesforce, Workday, and others all having their own AI agents, organizations are going to need a way to manage all of them. That is where UiPath steps in with its Maestro platform. The company has taken the governance and compliance framework from its robot process automation (RPA) solution and created a platform that can manage both AI agents and software bots.

As AI agents become more widespread, this is going to become an ever-increasing opportunity. At the same time, the platform can assign tasks to both AI agents and UiPath software bots, which are cheaper and can handle simple tasks like data entry. The stock is also attractively valued, with a forward P/S multiple of below 5 times and a forward P/E around 20 times.

The Tesla corporate logo is pictured at a Tesla electric car dealership in Sydney, Australia, May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Reed Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJan 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Syrah Resources (SYR.AX), opens new tab said on Monday it agreed with Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab to extend for the third time a deadline to resolve an alleged breach of their graphite supply agreement.

The 2021, opens new tabagreement to supply 8,000 metric tons of graphite a year over four years is key to Syrah’s Vidalia, Louisiana operations and the company's strategy to become the first major non‑Chinese supplier of the metal to the United States.

Sign up here.

Texas-heaquartered Tesla issued the first default notice in July 2025, saying Syrah had failed to deliver conforming active anode material samples from its Vidalia processing facility for use in electric‑vehicle batteries.

The companies have now agreed to push the cure deadline to March 16, 2026, subject to approval from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The original September 16 deadline was extended to November 15 before it was pushed to January 16.

"While Syrah does not accept it is in default under the offtake agreement, the parties have extended the cure date to March 16, 2026 and are closely collaborating to cure the alleged default," the Australian miner said in a statement.

The Vidalia facility is the only vertically integrated, large-scale anode material producer outside China, offering an alternative to Chinese supplies that dominate the market.

Tesla, led by the world's richest person, Elon Musk, also retains the right to terminate the supply deal if the active anode material supplied by Syrah does not meet its technical specifications by February 9.

Shares of the graphite producer fell 6.6% to A$0.285 in early trade on Monday, hitting their lowest level since December 22, while the broader mining sub-index (.AXMM), opens new tab was up 0.6%.

Reporting by Shruti Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Approval Label May Include Opioid Reduction January 18, 2026 19:01 ET  | Source: Mesoblast Limited

NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq:MESO; ASX:MSB), global leader in allogeneic cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, today provided feedback received from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on potential filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for its allogeneic cell therapy product rexlemestrocel-L in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain (CLBP). This follows FDA’s Type B meeting review of data from Mesoblast's first randomized controlled Phase 3 trial (MSB-DR003) on pain reduction and relationship to decreased use or elimination of opioids for up to three years following a single rexlemestrocel-L administration.

Mesoblast is seeking FDA approval for rexlemestrocel-L based on reduction in CLBP through 12 months. Comparing outcomes between rexlemestrocel-L and placebo from MSB-DR003 trial, FDA acknowledged that the effects on pain intensity appear to favor the active arm. FDA also confirmed that a clinically meaningful reduction in pain intensity in the active arm versus placebo at 12 months can support product efficacy and stated that the robust results on opioid reduction from at least one adequate and well controlled trial could be included in the Clinical Studies section of product labeling.

A second randomized controlled Phase 3 trial, MSB-DR004, is actively recruiting across 40 sites in the U.S., is over 50% enrolled, and is expected to complete the 300-patient enrollment target in the coming three months. CLBP is a major contributory factor to the U.S. opioid crisis, and rexlemestrocel-L has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from FDA for treatment of CLBP.

Mesoblast Chief Executive Silviu Itescu said: "Rexlemestrocel-L could offer a powerful solution for management of chronic inflammatory back pain with the added potential to contribute to the administration's goals of opioid reduction or cessation." 

About Rexlemestrocel-L for Chronic Low Back Pain associated with Degenerative Disc Disease
The 300-patient randomized controlled confirmatory Phase 3 trial of Mesoblast’s second generation allogeneic, STRO3-immunoselected, and industrially manufactured stromal cell product candidate rexlemestrocel-L in combination with hyaluronic acid (HA) as delivery agent for injection into the lumbar disc is actively enrolling in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) due to inflammatory degenerative disc disease (DDD) of less than five years duration at multiple sites across the U.S.

FDA has previously agreed on the design of this 300-patient randomized, placebo-controlled confirmatory Phase 3 trial, and the 12-month primary endpoint of pain reduction as an approvable indication. This endpoint was successfully met in Mesoblast’s first Phase 3 trial. Key secondary measures include improvement in quality of life and function.

A particular focus is on treatment of patients on opioids, since discogenic back pain accounts for approximately 50% of prescription opioid usage in the U.S. In light of the devastating opioid crisis that continues to rage in the U.S., in September 2025 FDA provided new Guidance to Industry on Development of Non-Opioid Agents for Treatment of Chronic Pain.1

Significant pain reduction and opioid cessation were observed in Mesoblast’s first Phase 3 trial. In Mesoblast's first randomized controlled Phase 3 trial of 404 patients, 168 of whom were taking opioids at baseline, more than 3-fold higher numbers of patients treated with a single intra-discal injection of rexlemestrocel-L + HA were able to cease use of all opioids by 36 months compared with saline-treated controls (p=0.008).

FDA has designated rexlemestrocel-L a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) for the treatment of chronic low back pain. RMAT designation provides all the benefits of Breakthrough and Fast Track designations, including rolling review and eligibility for priority review on filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA).

About Chronic Low Back Pain
Back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years,2 with an annual prevalence in the general US adult population of 10-30%.3 CLBP caused by inflammation and degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a serious condition with a prevalence of over 7 million people in the U.S. alone.4,5 CLBP due to DDD is a leading cause of disability, and is associated with impaired quality of life, severe limitations in ability to perform activities of daily living, reduced ability to work, and negative impacts on mental health. CLBP accounts for approximately 50% of prescription opioid usage in the US, making the condition a significant contributor to the opioid epidemic.

About Mesoblast
Mesoblast (the Company) is a world leader in developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf) cellular medicines for the treatment of severe and life-threatening inflammatory conditions. The therapies from the Company’s proprietary mesenchymal lineage cell therapy technology platform respond to severe inflammation by releasing anti-inflammatory factors that counter and modulate multiple effector arms of the immune system, resulting in significant reduction of the damaging inflammatory process.

Mesoblast’s Ryoncil® (remestemcel-L-rknd) for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD) in pediatric patients 2 months and older is the first FDA-approved mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy. Please see the full Prescribing Information at www.ryoncil.com.

Mesoblast is committed to developing additional cell therapies for distinct indications based on its remestemcel-L and rexlemestrocel-L allogeneic stromal cell technology platforms. Ryoncil® is being developed for additional inflammatory diseases including SR-aGvHD in adults and biologic-resistant inflammatory bowel disease. Rexlemestrocel-L is being developed for heart failure and chronic low back pain. The Company has established commercial partnerships in Japan, Europe and China.

About Mesoblast intellectual property: Mesoblast has a strong and extensive global intellectual property portfolio, with over 1,000 granted patents or patent applications covering mesenchymal stromal cell compositions of matter, methods of manufacturing and indications. These granted patents and patent applications provide commercial protection extending through to at least 2044 in all major markets.

About Mesoblast manufacturing: The Company’s proprietary manufacturing processes yield industrial-scale, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, cellular medicines. These cell therapies, with defined pharmaceutical release criteria, are planned to be readily available to patients worldwide.

Mesoblast has locations in Australia, the United States and Singapore and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (MSB) and on the Nasdaq (MESO). For more information, please see www.mesoblast.com, LinkedIn: Mesoblast Limited and Twitter: @Mesoblast

References / Footnotes

United States Food & Drug Administration. Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Chronic Pain Guidance for Industry. Draft Guidance. September 2025American Academy of Pain Medicine - Get the Facts on Pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine. http://www.painmed.org/patientcenter/facts-on-pain/ Accessed on June 28, 2017.Urits I, Burshtein A, Sharma M, et al. Low Back Pain, a Comprehensive Review: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2019;23(3):1-10. doi:10.1007/s11916-019-0757-1.Navigant: Commercial Assessment for a Proprietary Cell-Based Therapy for DDD in the U.S. and the EU3 – August 2014.Decision Resources: Chronic Pain December 2015. Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and actual results may differ from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be material and adverse. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Mesoblast’s preclinical and clinical studies, and Mesoblast’s research and development programs; Mesoblast’s ability to advance product candidates into, enroll and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; Mesoblast’s ability to advance its manufacturing capabilities; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities, if any; the commercialization of Mesoblast’s RYONCIL for pediatric SR-aGVHD and any other product candidates, if approved; regulatory or public perceptions and market acceptance surrounding the use of stem-cell based therapies; the potential for Mesoblast’s product candidates, if any are approved, to be withdrawn from the market due to patient adverse events or deaths; the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and Mesoblast’s ability to enter into and maintain established strategic collaborations; Mesoblast’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property on its product candidates and Mesoblast’s ability to successfully defend these in cases of alleged infringement; the scope of protection Mesoblast is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering its product candidates and technology; estimates of Mesoblast’s expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and its needs for additional financing; Mesoblast’s financial performance; developments relating to Mesoblast’s competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Mesoblast’s product candidates, if approved. You should read this press release together with our risk factors, in our most recently filed reports with the SEC or on our website. Uncertainties and risks that may cause Mesoblast’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Release authorized by the Chief Executive.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications / Investors Paul Hughes T: +61 3 9639 6036   Media – Global  Allison Worldwide Emma Neal T: +1 603 545 4843 E: [email protected]   Media – Australia BlueDot Media Steve Dabkowski T: +61 419 880 486 E: [email protected] 

HONG KONG, Jan. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today announced the appointment of Speed Liu as a Senior Managing Director in the Business Transformation practice in Asia within the firm’s Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment.

Mr. Liu, who is based in Hong Kong, joins FTI Consulting with more than 20 years of experience in private equity driving growth strategies, turnaround plans and cost optimization initiatives. He has substantial expertise advising on buyout transactions, business transformation and transactions across the consumer, service and industrials sectors.

In his role at FTI Consulting, Mr. Liu will support private equity and corporate clients in Asia and abroad with portfolio transformation, transactions, exit readiness and maximizing value creation. His appointment reinforces the firm’s differentiated approach in the region, combining strategic insight with hands-on execution across complex and high-stakes situations.

“Private equity firms in Asia are operating in an increasingly challenging environment, marked by rising costs, higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and mounting pressure from limited partners to accelerate exits and deploy capital,” said Roy Huang, Head of Asia and the Caribbean at FTI Consulting. “Speed brings a unique private equity perspective that enhances our ability to support clients through critical moments of truth while helping them navigate Asia’s evolving business landscape.”

Before joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Liu served as the Head of China for Permira, where he led the firm’s Asia investment and operation team. Prior to that, he was a Principal at Unitas Capital based in Shanghai. 

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Liu said, “Current market conditions are driving increased demand for deep operational transformation and integrated transaction support. I look forward to working with my new colleagues across FTI Consulting’s platform — spanning business transformation, transactions and capital markets — to help private equity sponsors and corporates navigate today’s challenges with investor-grade rigor and practical execution.”

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a leading global expert firm for organisations facing crisis and transformation, with more than 8,100 employees located in 32 countries and territories as of September 30, 2025. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consulting’s services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalised and independently managed. The Company generated $3.70 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2024. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

FTI Consulting, Inc.
555 12thStreet NW
Washington, DC 20004
+1.202.312.9100

Investor Contact:
Mollie Hawkes
+1.617.747.1791
[email protected]

Media Contacts:
Nick Emmons
+1.617.510.1676
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Yammie Ng
+85237684560
[email protected]

The largest bank in the U.S. is going to work with what is arguably the world's strongest consumer brand.

Goldman Sachs is a leading force in capital markets and investment banking activities. But it just showed once again that it could not figure out how to successfully break into consumer banking. The financial services institution has decided to sell the $20 billion Apple Card portfolio, a program it has run since its inception in 2019, to Wall Street rival JPMorgan Chase (JPM +1.05%). The transaction is expected to close in 24 months, according to the press release.

Here's what investors need to know.

Image source: JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase gains access to high-value consumers The Apple Card partnership surprisingly wasn't a winning product offering for Goldman Sachs. Unexpectedly high charge-off rates as a result of looser lending standards, with a particularly higher proportion of approvals to consumers with FICO scores below 660 (considered fair to very poor), led to the troubles. This is part of the bigger struggles Goldman Sachs had getting its consumer banking efforts off the ground.

But one person's trash could be another person's treasure. That's what JPMorgan Chase, the biggest domestic bank with $4.4 trillion in assets, is hoping for. It has a leading position in consumer banking, serving 85 million consumers.

JPMorgan Chase will immediately gain access to more than 12 million Apple Card customers (data is from January 2024). Today, this likely means tens of millions of people who own Apple devices and are also more affluent than the general population. Being able to cross-sell the bank's vast array of products and services is the key opportunity here.

On the fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, JPMorgan Chase management highlighted the challenge of properly integrating Apple Card into their internal systems. But optimism is there. "In terms of the portfolio and the transaction, this is, you know, an economically compelling transaction for us," CFO Jeremy Barnum said.

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Expect minimal financial impact Goldman Sachs will still handle the Apple Card for the next two years until this deal closes. After it does, assuming regulatory approvals take place, investors shouldn't expect much of a financial impact for JPMorgan Chase.

As of Dec. 31, the bank had $1.5 trillion in total loans in its portfolio. Apple Card's $20 billion in balances would represent a tiny 1.3% of that entire sum. That's not going to move the needle in any meaningful way.

This transaction, in my view, also doesn't have any influence on the investment implications of JPMorgan Chase stock. Given its expensive valuation, with shares trading at a price-to-book ratio of 2.5, this isn't a worthy portfolio addition right now.

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Goldman Sachs Group, and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Choosing between the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) really comes down to how you feel about the current market rotation.

Dividend income investing usually isn't as simple as just picking the best dividend stocks. Your personal goals and income requirements can have a big impact on whether you focus on dividend growth or high yield.

Dividend growth stocks tend to have greater durability and sustainability, but can come with low yields. High yield stocks can help solve the income problem, but they can also turn into yield traps that damage total returns. That makes the argument between the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG +0.22%) and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD 0.45%) an interesting one.

Is the current market environment built more for classic dividend growth or one that focuses on high yield with a quality tilt?

Image source: Getty Images.

Dividend growth vs. high yield The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF tracks the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index. It targets large-cap stocks that have grown their annual dividend for at least 10 consecutive years. It eliminates the top 25% of yields in order to avoid some of those potential yield traps and weights the final portfolio by market cap.

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There's good and bad in this strategy. On the plus side, the elimination of high-yielders makes this more of a pure dividend growth play, even if it comes at the expense of income. On the downside, the market cap-weighting gives preference to the biggest companies regardless of yield or dividend history.

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF follows the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. It targets companies of all sizes that have paid (but not necessarily grown) dividends over the past decade and scores them using metrics such as return on equity (ROE), cash flow to debt, dividend growth rate, and yield. The 100 stocks with the best combination of these factors make the final cut.

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This methodology produces a portfolio heavily tilted toward the yield factor, but filled with higher-quality stocks. This is, in my opinion, an advantageous way of building the portfolio. Selecting purely by yield can be dangerous because it gives no consideration to sustainability. By selecting stocks only backed by quality balance sheets helps address that problem.

Which ETF is the better buy? The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has benefited from its market-cap-weighting strategy because it's made Broadcom, Microsoft, and Apple its top three holdings. That's helped past performance relative to other dividend ETFs, but what happens if the market keeps rotating away from tech as it's begun to do in 2026?

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has lagged mightily over the past three years, but that's a function of its strategy being out of favor, not the strategy itself. Overall, I really like that it incorporates dividend growth history, dividend quality, and high yield into its strategy. That really helps it identify a portfolio of top-tier stocks.

I believe that the Schwab ETF is the better buy right now. With questions surrounding the direction of the economy, the health of the labor market, and the geopolitical backdrop, we could see a continuation of the current rotation away from tech and into more defensive issues. Its portfolio is much better positioned for that type of scenario.

David Dierking has positions in Apple and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Saturday confirmed he was not asked to be Federal Reserve chair, hours after President Trump disputed a report saying he offered Dimon the role.

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported Trump offered to nominate Dimon for Fed chair, although the news outlet added the JPMorgan boss took the offer as a joke. Trump in a Truth Social post on Saturday denied that report, and JPMorgan later affirmed the president’s assertion.

“There was no job offer,” Dimon said in a statement.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said President Trump did not offer to nominate him to be Federal Reserve chairman. AP In an email to Reuters, bank spokesperson Trish Wexler said she should have been “more vigilant” in correcting the Wall Street Journal story before it was published.

Trump on Saturday also posted he plans to sue JPMorgan sometime in the next two weeks for allegedly “debanking” him following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.

Wexler said the bank would not discuss specific clients, but the bank believes “that no one’s account should be closed because of political or religious beliefs.”

“We appreciate that this Administration has moved to address political debanking and we support those efforts,” she said.

Dimon, one of Wall Street’s most influential figures, has come out against some of the Trump administration’s policies.

Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday that he intends to sue JPMorgan for “debanking” him following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. REUTERS Earlier this week, Dimon voiced support for the independence of the Fed, days after the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May.

Dimon and top JPMorgan executives have also pushed back on the Trump administration’s proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates, saying it would result in millions of households losing access to credit.

Trump on Wednesday suggested in a Reuters interview he was inclined to nominate either White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett or former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell.

2026 could be the year of Ethereum, setting the stage for further growth.

Standard Chartered analysts say 2026 will be the year of Ethereum (ETH +0.84%). Its team thinks the popular smart-contract crypto could outperform Bitcoin (BTC 0.03%) this year. It set a bullish $40,000 price target for the end of 2030, suggesting an upside of around 1,100%. As I write this (Jan. 13), Ethereum is trading at around $3,300.

It is a big jump, but it wouldn't be an impossible one. If stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, and decentralized finance grow at the levels some predict, the amount of funds on the Ethereum blockchain could snowball. Historically, there's a strong correlation between total value locked (TVL) and Ethereum's price.

Becoming an Ethereum millionaire Ethereum often gets overshadowed by Bitcoin in investment terms. Where Bitcoin grew over 125% in the past two years, Ethereum has only gained 33%. There's over $120 billion in spot Bitcoin ETFs due to strong institutional demand, while spot Ethereum ETFs contain just $18 billion, per Coinglass data.

Even so, it's still the second-biggest crypto by market cap and it dominates the decentralized finance industry. Even more striking? It has huge growth potential that doesn't seem to be priced in. Citigroup estimates that stablecoin issuance alone could grow from around $280 billion today to between $1.9 trillion and $4 trillion.

Given that Ethereum currently accounts for just over 50% of the stablecoin market, per DefiLlama, it's fair to say that it will capture some of that market. Ethereum currently has $75.32 billion in funds in its ecosystem. If even $950 billion in stablecoins were issued on its blockchain, that would increase its TVL by over 1,100%. And that's before we consider similar growth in real-world asset tokenization.

These figures show Ethereum's potential, but its success is far from a slam dunk. That's partly because some traditional finance players are developing their own blockchains, so they may not use any public cryptos at all. Plus, while Ethereum is extremely reliable, it struggles with transaction speeds and scalability. That represents an opportunity for Ethereum's competitors, including Solana, which could also eat into its market share.

Using crypto to retire a millionaire is risky Crypto has made some millionaires, but it is extremely volatile and the industry is still relatively young. There's a lot of uncertainty about how it will evolve. Even if Standard Chartered's predictions come true and Ethereum soars 1,100% in four years, you'd need to have over $90,000 worth of Ethereum today for it to make you a millionaire.

Moreover, investing in high-risk assets like cryptocurrencies isn't generally viewed as a solid way to build wealth for retirement, particularly if your crypto holdings aren't balanced out by less risky assets. Many millionaires got there by making steady long-term contributions to a diversified portfolio held in a tax-advantaged account.

Ethereum could certainly help you retire with a considerable nest egg, depending on your investment strategy, timeline, and risk tolerance. Just make sure you manage your exposure so that a prolonged price slump won't derail your retirement plans.

The president's push to acquire Greenland threatens higher prices for luxury imports.

The future is looking brighter for this healthcare giant.

Medtronic (MDT 2.18%) is coming off a strong year. The company performed well in 2025, despite some threats to its business, including the impact of tariffs on its operations.

As 2026 begins, the good news is that Medtronic hasn't peaked yet. There are still solid reasons to consider buying shares of Medtronic this year, especially for long-term, income-seeking investors.

Let's consider three of them.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Medtronic now has a simpler, more focused business Last year, Medtronic announced that it would separate its diabetes business into a stand-alone, publicly traded entity. The transaction is expected to be complete by the end of this year, considering the timeline management provided to investors. There are several reasons why this is a great move for the medtech leader.

First, Medtronic was unable to keep pace with industry leaders in certain niches of the diabetes care market, including the development of top-of-the-line continuous glucose monitoring systems. Even within the insulin pump category, Medtronic had strong challengers.

Second, diabetes care is Medtronic's only direct-to-consumer unit, and it generates significantly lower operating margins than the rest of its business. In its fiscal year 2025, ending on April 25, 2025, diabetes care accounted for 8% of revenue but only 4% of operating profits. Once it gets rid of this division, Medtronic will be more focused on its B2B operations and should unlock more profitable growth opportunities.

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2. Medtronic has a new growth driver Last year, Medtronic received regulatory clearance in the U.S. for the Hugo system, a robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) device, for use in urologic procedures. This won't boost Medtronic's top-line growth this year, or even next.

However, it introduces an important long-term opportunity for the company, as robotic surgery is an underpenetrated market with attractive long-term prospects. That's because the minimally invasive procedures they enable allow surgeons to perform procedures with significant advantages, but many eligible procedures are still not being performed robotically.

Even with stiff competition from other medical device leaders, Medtronic's entry into this market represents an important development for the company. As shipments for the device gain traction and new indications help that, the Hugo system will eventually contribute meaningfully to Medtronic's results.

3. Medtronic has a fantastic dividend streak Medtronic is an excellent stock for dividend-seeking investors. The healthcare giant has increased its payouts for 48 consecutive years while offering a forward yield of 3%. Medtronic is on track to become a Dividend King -- or a corporation with at least 50 straight years of annual dividend increases -- in the next couple of years. And it will continue hiking its payouts long after that. That's one more reason why the stock is a buy this year.

Expense ratios, yield, and risk profiles set these two bond ETFs apart—here’s what investors should weigh before choosing.

The iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG 0.17%) stands out for its much lower cost, broader diversification, and slightly higher yield compared to the iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI 0.18%), though it has experienced a deeper historical drawdown.

Both AGG and IEI are popular fixed-income funds from IShares, but they serve different purposes. AGG seeks to capture the entire U.S. investment-grade bond market, while IEI focuses solely on intermediate-term U.S. Treasury bonds. This comparison looks at cost, performance, risk, and portfolio makeup to help decide which may suit an investor's needs.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricIEIAGGIssuerISharesISharesExpense ratio0.15%0.03%1-yr return (as of 2026-01-09)4.1%4.4%Dividend yield3.5%3.9%AUM$17.7 billion$136.5 billionThe 1-yr return represents stock price appreciation over the trailing 12 months.

AGG looks more affordable thanks to its 0.03% expense ratio, a fraction of IEI's 0.15%, and also offers a modestly higher yield at 3.9% versus 3.5% for IEI.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricIEIAGGMax drawdown (5 y)-14.05%-17.83%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$903$857What's insideAGG is designed to cover the total U.S. investment-grade bond market, holding over 13,000 securities as of its 22.3-year history. Its top positions include Blackrock  (BLK +0.56%) at 2.66%, and Treasury Notes that mature on Feb. 2, 2035, at 0.42% of the portfolio, reflecting a blend of government, and private company investments.

IEI, by contrast, focuses exclusively on intermediate-term U.S. Treasury bonds, with 84 holdings. Its largest exposures are Treasury Note that mature on Feb. 15, 2029, at 4.08%, Treasury Notes that mature on Nov. 30, 2030, at 3.60%, and Treasury Notes that mature on May 15, 2029 at 2.93%. Both funds avoid quirks like leverage or currency hedging, sticking to straightforward U.S. bond exposure.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

What this means for investorsIf you're looking for a predictable place to park your cash, you could do a lot worse than the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF or the iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF. That said, these haven't been great income investments over the past five years.

Investors who bought either one of these ETFs in early 2021 don't have a lot to smile about. If you include dividend payments received over the past five years, investors who bought the iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF have realized a measly 0.96% gain. Folks who invested in the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF and held the dividends are down by 0.7% over the same time frame.

While the past five years have been disappointing for both of these ETFs, the returns they provide could swing deep into positive territory if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates.

While the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF represents thousands of debt issuers, bonds belonging to entities with the largest amounts of outstanding debt are given a higher weight. This leads to concentration in the largest issuers of debt, which aren't necessarily the entities you'd like exposure to.

GlossaryETF (Exchange-traded fund): A fund holding many securities, traded on an exchange like a stock.
Expense ratio: Annual fund operating costs expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average assets.
Diversification: Spreading investments across many securities to reduce the impact of any single holding.
Dividend yield: Annual cash distributions from a fund divided by its current market price.
Beta: A measure of an investment’s volatility compared with a benchmark index, such as the S&P 500.
AUM (Assets under management): Total market value of all assets managed within a fund.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in value over a specified period.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus all interest and dividends, assuming reinvestment.
Investment-grade bond: Bond rated relatively safe from default by major credit rating agencies.
Intermediate-term bond: Bond with a medium-length maturity, typically around three to ten years.
U.S. Treasury bond: Debt security issued by the U.S. government to finance its operations.
Leverage (in funds): Using borrowed money or derivatives to increase a fund’s exposure beyond its net assets.

This ETF could be poised for substantial growth over the next decade.

The right investment can build life-changing wealth, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are low-maintenance investments that can pack a punch.

Growth ETFs are designed to earn above-average returns, maximizing your earnings with minimal effort on your part. While nobody can say for certain what the market will do in the coming years, one powerhouse ETF could significantly outperform the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.06%) over the next decade.

Image source: Getty Images.

A growth ETF with a strong track record The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG 0.25%) is a powerful growth fund with a slew of advantages. It contains nearly 200 large-cap stocks that exhibit growth characteristics, positioning them for above-average returns.

NYSEMKT: SCHGSchwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Large-Cap Growth ETF

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Large-cap stocks tend to be more stable than their smaller counterparts, and many of the companies in this ETF are industry-leading giants with a long history of not only surviving downturns, but thriving over time.

Over the last 10 years, the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF has earned total returns of around 441%, as of this writing, compared to around 270% for the S&P 500. In other words, if you'd invested $10,000 a decade ago, you'd have around $54,000 versus $37,000, respectively.

SCHG data by YCharts

Another advantage of this fund is its rock-bottom expense ratio of 0.04%, meaning you'll pay $4 per year in fees for every $10,000 invested. That's a fraction of the fee many other growth funds charge, which could potentially save you thousands of dollars over time.

Can this ETF beat the market in the next 10 years? Past performance isn't necessarily indicative of future returns, so although this fund has significantly outperformed the market previously, that doesn't guarantee it will continue to do so.

That said, this ETF's heavy tilt toward the tech industry could help propel it forward in the years to come. Roughly half of the fund is allocated to tech stocks, and top holdings include major names such as Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft.

Much of this fund's growth has come in the last five years or so, as tech stocks -- particularly those involved in the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) -- have surged. With experts predicting that AI is poised for long-term gains, this ETF could be on the verge of substantial growth.

The key to maximizing your earnings Keeping a long-term outlook is critical when investing in a growth ETF, as this type of investment can be more volatile during periods of economic instability. If the market takes a turn for the worse in the coming years, this fund could be hit harder than an S&P 500-tracking fund.

For example, throughout the bear market of 2022, the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF sank well below the S&P 500.

SCHG data by YCharts

However, between January 2022 and today, the Schwab fund has earned total returns of more than 58% -- surging past the S&P 500 yet again.

SCHG data by YCharts

The short term can be rocky with growth funds, so be prepared for more significant price fluctuations. But strong investments are more likely to rebound from downturns, and staying invested for at least five to 10 years can help limit the impact of short-term volatility.

Growth ETFs can be fantastic investments for building wealth, but a long-term outlook is key. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF has a powerful stock lineup and a history of beating the market, and with enough time, it has the potential to crush the S&P 500.

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