Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) posted Q4 CY2025 revenue of $213.4B, up 13.6% YoY, and non-GAAP profit of $1.95 per share, slightly ahead of estimates. The quarter reflects acceleration in AWS, particularly AI and custom silicon, alongside gains in retail, grocery, and advertising, but was tempered by special charges and investments in supply chain transformation, AI infrastructure, and LEO satellite launches.

Guidance for Q1 CY2026 is revenue of about $176B, near consensus. Management expects operating income to be volatile as the company prioritizes long-term growth over near-term margins. The stock closed at $204.82, down from $223.14 pre-earnings.

Key watchpoints: AWS AI/Chip monetization, grocery and everyday essentials growth, and the impact of automation and regional fulfillment on margins.

Affirm (NASDAQ:AFRM) topped revenue expectations in Q4 CY2025, with sales rising 29.6% year-on-year to $1.12 billion. Non-GAAP profit of $0.72 per share was 13.9% below consensus. Management credited growth from broader merchant diversification, higher transactions per user, and expansion of the Affirm Card.

CEO Max Levchin said the business is growing well with diversification in GMV, and the Affirm Card remains a significant driver of metrics. The company expects continued momentum from international partnerships, AI investments, and new verticals including services and auto repair, alongside regulatory progress toward a bank charter.

Looking ahead, guidance reflects disciplined margin management as Affirm expands its merchant base and product offerings. AFRM closed at $59.40, in line with the pre-earnings price.

The U.S. government, under President Trump, signed an executive order on January 7, 2026, banning defense contractors from paying dividends or repurchasing shares until they can meet quality and budget delivery goals, and capping CEO compensation at $5 million. The move has triggered investor concern over shareholder returns and executive attraction, with some worried it may削弱 long-term competitiveness by deterring top talent.

Analysts note the policy reflects heightened government influence over corporate capital allocation. David Sowerby of Ancora Advisors argues the "micromanagement" could offset benefits from increased defense spending. Charles Lieberman of Advisors Capital Management maintains cash flow is not the constraint, emphasizing the need for sustained orders to justify capital expenditures and maintaining a positive outlook on defense stocks.

Senior executives at Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman have signaled they will continue with dividend policies and reassess share buybacks at upcoming board meetings, highlighting the sector-specific impacts on established versus venture-growth firms.

Alphabet (GOOGL-US), Microsoft (MSFT-US), Amazon (AMZN-US), and Meta (META-US) are planning combined capital expenditures of approximately $650 billion in 2026, primarily for new and upgraded data centers and AI-acceleration infrastructure including AI chips, cabling, and backup generators.

Meta reported 2025 capital spending of $13.5 billion, up 87%. Microsoft’s second-quarter spending rose 66% year-over-year to about $10.5 billion, with full-year guidance near $10.5 billion. Alphabet plans up to $18.5 billion, and Amazon’s 2026 plan tops $20 billion.

Analysts at DA Davidson note the “next winner-takes-most” dynamic in AI compute, with no clear frontrunner. Constraints include shortages of electrical workers, concrete, and TSMC’s (2330-TW; TSM-US) NVIDIA chips. While strong cash positions support the spending, the pace raises concerns about timing of returns and investor patience as the AI bubble reemerges. Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said investors are pausing at tech stocks amid heightened caution.

Perella Weinberg Partners (NASDAQ:PWP) reported Q4 CY2025 revenue of $219.2 million, down 2.9% year-on-year, yet non-GAAP profit of $0.17 per share exceeded analysts' consensus by 65.9%. The firm's revenue growth of 7.7% annualized over the past five years and 7.6% over the last two years reflects stable demand, while its pipeline entering 2026 is at record levels.

CEO Andrew Bednar attributed the results to strategic talent investments and favorable M&A, financing, and capital solutions conditions. The stock closed flat at $21.53 following the earnings release.

Lebanon, grappling with deep inflation, banking collapse and political stagnation, is considering selling a portion of its 286-tonne (~9 million oz) central bank gold reserve valued at up to $50 billion (€42.4bn) to recapitalize failing banks and reimburse depositors. The 1986 ban on selling gold remains in force, though some depositors and economists see the reserves as a potential lifeline amid a $70 billion (€59.4bn) banking loss and $11 billion (€9.3bn) in Israeli-Hezbollah war costs.

Gold prices have risen to $5,354 (€4,540) and then retreated to $4,540, reflecting geopolitical uncertainty and expectations of lower U.S. interest rates. Global central banks have driven much of the buying, while silver prices surged on industrial demand and a cheaper price.

Any sale would require parliamentary approval and is unlikely soon, with Speaker Nabih Berri blocking discussion last week. The government seeks to balance returning deposits with avoiding precedent and addressing systemic corruption. In the meantime, public demand for gold and silver is surging as a cashless, inflation-hedging asset, with traders reporting prepayment for months of supply.

Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC) reported Q4 CY2025 revenue of $166.6 million, up 2.4% year-on-year and in line with Wall Street expectations. Non-GAAP adjusted EPS reached $0.55, 27.9% above the consensus, on an operating margin of 14.9%, up 1.6 percentage points from Q4 2024.

CEO Scott A. King noted strong cash flow that reduced debt by $60 million, cutting interest expense and boosting adjusted EPS 22% year-on-year. The company’s backlog rose to $244 million, with 10% higher 2025 orders. Analysts forecast 4.6% revenue growth over the next 12 months and $2.13 full-year EPS in 2026, up 5.6% year-on-year.

Key dates: Results released February 6, 2026 (UTC).

Marygold Companies (MRYG) reported a second-quarter net loss of $12.5 million, a decrease of 28% from the $17.5 million loss in Q1 2025, according to the company's latest financial results released February 6, 2026.

The improvement followed cost optimization initiatives and reduced operating expenses, which accounted for $2.3 million in savings during the quarter. Revenue for Q2 2026 totaled $48.7 million, a 4.2% decline from the prior-year period.

CEO John Smith stated in a press release, "We are implementing disciplined cost management and focusing on core markets to drive profitability, and the results reflect our progress toward stabilizing the business."

Plains All American Pipeline L.P. (PAA) reported fourth-quarter net income of $342 million, or 41 cents per share, reflecting adjusted net income of 40 cents per share. Revenue totaled $10.57 billion for the quarter. Results trailed the average analyst estimate of 47 cents per share, according to three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. For the full year, the company recorded profit of $1.44 billion, or $1.66 per share, on revenue of $44.26 billion.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) reported Q4 CY2025 revenue of $10.36 billion, up 6.8% year on year, and non-GAAP profit of $1.70 per share, in line with analyst estimates.

Sales growth reflects continued strength in non-cigarette products, including heated tobacco and oral nicotine pouches. The company’s free cash flow margin averaged 25.2% over the past two years, supporting its ability to reinvest and return capital to shareholders.

Looking ahead, sell-side analysts project revenue to grow 7.7% over the next 12 months, above the sector average. Shares fell 1.4% to $179.50 in after-hours trading following the report.

EVs are increasingly stepping into the role of backup generators during severe winter outages, with vehicle-to-home (V2H) capabilities now in about 14 models, including all of General Motors Co.’s (GM) line, and expected to be standard in new offerings from Tesla Inc., Rivian Automotive Inc., and others. US sales of EVs with bidirectional charging reached roughly 630,000, up from about one in five vehicles purchased in the past quarter. Ford’s 2024 F-150 Lightning, which connects to a home panel to automatically switch power during outages, saw usage quadruple last week, with an average of four activations per year. The feature is expected to become a table stakes selling point as energy resilience becomes a key differentiator in a grid under stress from extreme weather and rising data center demand.

MarketAxess (NASDAQ:MKTX) reported Q4 CY2025 revenue of $209.4 million, 3.5% higher than the prior-year period, but below Wall Street’s revenue forecast. Non-GAAP profit of $1.68 per share exceeded analysts’ estimate by 2.4%.

Sales growth of 3.5% YoY contrasts with a 4.2% CAGR over the past five years and 6% over the past two, both below the firm’s financials-sector benchmark. The stock closed flat at $162.82 following the earnings release.

The company, a leader in electronic bond trading since 2000, posted an outlier in the most recent quarter due to outsized investment gains/losses, not indicative of recurring operations.

Graham Corporation (NYSE:GHM) reports Q4 CY2025 results exceeding expectations: revenue up 20.5% YoY to $56.7 million and non-GAAP EPS of $0.31, 69.1% above consensus. The full-year revenue guidance of ~$236 million is near analyst estimates.

Q4 backlog reached $515.6 million, reflecting 27.8% YoY growth over the past two years and potential capacity constraints. Revenue growth was driven by strong end-market activity, with the Defense segment robust and Energy & Process and Space markets performing in line with expectations.

Five-year sales CAGR of 20.1% and 42% CAGR in EPS demonstrate improving profitability. Operating margin expanded 14.2 percentage points over five years, but declined 1 point QoQ to 5.5% as gross margins tightened. Analysts project 6.6% revenue growth and $1.50 full-year EPS for CY2026, up 17% from 2025.

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<div>Date: February 6, 2026</div>

<div>Relative terms converted to absolute dates as per protocol.</div>

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Centene (NYSE:CNC) reported Q4 CY2025 sales of $49.73 billion, up 21.9% year-on-year and exceeding Wall Street estimates. The company’s non-GAAP loss of $1.19 per share was 2.5% above consensus, while full-year revenue guidance of $188.5 billion at the midpoint missed estimates by 2.1%.

Supporting context: Q4 customer count reached 27.63 million, stable over the past two years, implying higher average spending per customer. Five-year revenue CAGR was 11.9%, and two-year annualized growth was 12.5%. However, operating margins contracted by 5.3 percentage points over the last five years and 5.8 over two years, with a 3.5% negative margin in Q4 versus -3.9% YoY.

Looking ahead, sell-side analysts project flat revenue through CY2026, while full-year EPS is expected to rise 55.4% to $2.05. The stock fell 3.2% to $38.63 in after-hours trading following the results.

CBOE Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE) reported fourth-quarter net income of $313.5 million, or $2.97 per share, with adjusted net income of $3.06 per share. Revenue totaled $1.2 billion for the quarter, up from $659.6 million when adjusted, beating Zacks Investment Research’s average estimate. For the year, the company recorded profit of $1.1 billion, or $10.42 per share, and revenue of $2.43 billion.

Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) topped earnings expectations in Q4 CY2025, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.99, 22.1% above consensus, but revenue fell 7.1% year on year to $2.28B. Sales momentum weakened over five years, down 6% annually, with operating margins contracting 8.6 pp and EPS declining 14.2% annually. Analysts project revenue to decline 6.6% and full-year EPS to $15.29, down 5.6% from prior-year guidance. The stock closed flat at $185.89.

Oracle (ORCL) successfully issued a record $25 billion in investment-grade bonds on February 01, 2026, attracting over $1.29 trillion in超额认购 and clearing a major supply issue for subsequent tech capital raises. The offering reflects heightened demand as AI compute needs surge, with data center investments expected to total about $500 billion through 2026.

Investor risk premiums for corporate债 versus Treasuries narrowed to near three-decade lows, and open-market issuance hit $1 trillion in 2026, with January alone exceeding $200 billion. While Oracle’s credit remains more HY hyper than investment grade, its issuance acted as a "market clearing" event, reducing near-term downgrade risk and compressing spreads in its bonds by 25bps overnight.

High-grade issuance by Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft is expected to接力, supported by record CAPEX in data centers and anticipated M&A-driven bond financing over the coming quarters. Goldman Sachs, the lead underwriter, accounted for about 6.8% of U.S. investment-grade bond sales this year excluding its own transactions.

In 2025, the average comfortable retirement savings target rose to $1.5 million from $1.26 million in 2025 and $1.46 million in 2024, reflecting higher inflation, healthcare costs, and longer life expectancies. Using a 3% withdrawal rate, $1.5 million yields roughly $45,000 annually, far below many states' comfortable thresholds, including Hawaii's $130,000 needed.

Key risks include 3%–4% annual expense growth, a 25% buffer, and inflation outpacing wages. Real estate, medical inflation, and one-time expenses can deplete balances. Early retirees are advised to consider part-time work, build income-generating skills, and regularly revisit their plans with a disciplined spending approach.

The median net worth for U.S. individuals under 35 stands at $39,040, compared to $135,300 for those aged 35–44, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (Jan 2026). This gap reflects earlier accumulation timelines and the inclusion of housing and other long-term assets in later life.

Assets for this group typically include early savings, retirement vehicles, and initial investments, while liabilities such as student loans, credit card debt, and home/down payment obligations can keep net worth modest or negative for many. Net worth grows with time as incomes rise, savings compound, and debt service declines.

Tracking changes in net worth over time is more informative than comparing to peers; it highlights personal progress and areas needing adjustment. Regularly reviewing this metric can help young adults align spending, saving, and investment decisions with long-term goals.

Top U.S. occupations projected to have the most openings from 2024 to 2034 for bachelor’s degree holders center on business, healthcare, and technology. General and operations managers lead the list with about 308,700 openings annually, followed by registered nurses and software developers. These roles typically require a bachelor’s in business administration, nursing, or computer science, respectively. About four of the top 10 majors pay above $60,000 annually. The data underscores the value of majors aligned with labor market demand amid rising tuition costs.