Israel stocks higher at close of trade; TA 35 up 1.14%

Investing.com -- Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) stock climbed mid-morning, paring earlier declines to trade flat after the company announced positive results from its REIMAGINE 2 trial for CagriSema in adults with type 2 diabetes.

The Danish pharmaceutical giant reported that CagriSema demonstrated superior HbA1c reduction of 1.91%-points compared to 1.76%-points with semaglutide alone. The combination therapy also achieved superior weight loss of 14.2% versus 10.2% with semaglutide after 68 weeks of treatment.

The phase 3 trial, which included 2,728 people with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor, showed that up to 43% of patients achieved ≥15% weight loss and up to 24% achieved ≥20% weight loss with CagriSema at the 2.4 mg/2.4 mg dose.

"We are very pleased by the clinical profile of CagriSema in type 2 diabetes patients, including a confirmation of the very strong weight loss data seen with CagriSema in the obesity trials," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Novo Nordisk.

The company noted that no weight loss plateau was observed at week 68 for CagriSema, suggesting continued effectiveness throughout the treatment period. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature, with the majority being mild to moderate and diminishing over time.

Following these results, along with previous findings from REIMAGINE 1 and REDEFINE 3 trials, Novo Nordisk plans to approach regulatory authorities to discuss the pathway for CagriSema in type 2 diabetes. The company had already submitted CagriSema for weight management to the US FDA in December 2025 based on earlier pivotal trials.

CagriSema combines cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin receptor agonist, with semaglutide, Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 receptor agonist that has driven significant revenue growth for the company through its Ozempic and Wegovy products.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- Morgan Stanley downgraded Humana to Underweight from Equal-weight, warning that policy risks and the company’s 2026 Medicare Advantage bid strategy could slow its margin turnaround and pressure earnings into 2027.

The bank cut its price target to $174 from $262 after lowering estimates and factoring in additional profit risks.

It said the call is relative, arguing that positioning looks more compelling at peers such as UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health and Cigna amid broader disruption in managed care.

Morgan Stanley said a weaker-than-expected Medicare Advantage Advance Rate Notice adds a new policy overhang for the sector, with Humana disproportionately exposed given its focus on MA. The notice pointed to roughly flat benchmark reimbursement rates for 2027, compared with market expectations for a 3% to 5% increase. The bank estimated that, on an unmitigated basis, each 1% decline in the rate notice could translate into about 36% earnings pressure for Humana in 2027.

The bank also flagged risks tied to Humana’s 2026 bid strategy. Based on its proprietary benefit richness analysis, Morgan Stanley said Humana stood out as one of the few plans to expand Medicare Advantage prescription drug offerings, increasing benefits by 2.9% overall. That contrasted with a national average decline of about 9% as competitors moved to protect margins.

Humana’s benefit richness increased across both HMO and PPO plans, with the company rising to the second-richest PPO offering, an area Morgan Stanley described as less profitable and one that many rivals are deemphasizing. While consistent with Humana’s stated strategy, the bank questioned whether the company fully anticipated the scale of benefit cuts by competitors.

Morgan Stanley said early-quarter commentary points to sharper-than-expected enrollment declines at other insurers, raising the risk that Humana’s enrollment growth could exceed plan assumptions. That dynamic could leave the company with higher membership but weaker profitability, complicating its planned recovery.

Humana shares are down about 24% year to date and trade at roughly 10.3 times Morgan Stanley’s 2027 earnings estimate, near peer levels. Even so, the bank said the stock may be more expensive than it appears if profit risks in 2026 and 2027 materialize.

Monday’s market has seen swings in various stocks based on news and other factors. Today, stocks like AMD and Lam Research Corp are rallying, while stocks like Disney and Tesla are falling. Below are highlights of some of the biggest stock movers, from mega-caps to small caps.

Mega-Cap Movers ($200B+ market cap):

• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD); +4.89%
• Lam Research Corp (LRCX); +3.33%
• Intel Corp (INTC); +4.05%
• Visa Inc (V); +3.23%
• AbbVie Inc (ABBV); +1.71%
• Oracle Corp (ORCL); Oracle kicks off eight-par USD bond offering - Bloomberg; +2.02%
• Mastercard Cl A (MA); +2.02%
• Micron Tech (MU); +4.42%
• Tesla Motors (TSLA); SpaceX may announce xAI merger as soon as this week, report says; -2.48%
• Disney (DIS); -6.38%

Large-Cap Stock Movers ($10B-$200B market cap):

• SanDisk Corp-Exch (SNDK); +15.1%
• Lumentum Holdings Inc (LITE); +11.1%
• Regencell Bioscience Holdings (RGC); +12.89%
• GameStop Corp (GME); +5.15%
• Bitmine Immersion Tech (BMNR); Bitmine’s ethereum holdings reach 3.55% of total ETH supply; -5.6%
• Robinhood Markets (HOOD); -8.3%
• Xpeng Inc (XPEV); -9.49%
• IBIT NASDAQ (IBIT); -6.3%
• MicroStrategy Inc (MSTR); -3.75%
• FBTC NYSE (FBTC); -6.09%

Mid-Cap Stock Movers ($2B-$10B market cap):

• Phoenix Asia Holdings (PHOE); -76.71%
• Twist Bioscience Corporation (TWST); Twist Bioscience stock rises 5% on revenue beat, raised guidance; +14.41%
• Semtech Corp (SMTC); +9.7%
• Alumis (ALMS); +9.91%
• Capnia Inc (SLNO); +8.49%
• VSE Corp (VSEC); VSE launches $1 billion offerings to fund Precision Aviation acquisition; -10.21%
• ETHA (ETHA); -11.43%
• FETH ETH (FETH); -11.15%
• Pennymac Fnl Ser (PFSI); -7.69%
• Chenghe Acquisition II (PLBL); -2.84%

Small-Cap Stock Movers ($300M-$2B market cap):

• VenHub Global (VHUB); VenHub Global appoints Ian Rasmussen as EVP of global expansion; +82.4%
• Aquestive Therapeutics (AQST); FDA issues complete response letter for Aquestive’s anaphylaxis drug; +47.07%
• Peakstone Realty Trust (PKST); +32.71%
• Opera Ltd (OPRA); Opera expects to exceed Q4 guidance on revenue and earnings; +17.33%
• Columbia Financial (CLBK); Columbia to acquire Northfield in $597 million deal; +8.42%
• BMNU (BMNU); +1.31%
• BITX (BITX); -12.43%
• ETHU (ETHU); -22.75%
• Yext Inc (YEXT); Yext CEO withdraws $9 per share buyout proposal, company plans tender offer; -19.88%
• Adlai Nortye ADR (ANL); -17.59%

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This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- U.S. stocks stabilized Monday as sharp falls in gold and silver prices were halted, improving sentiment ahead of a packed week of corporate earnings and economic data.

At 09:40 ET (14:40 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 110 points, or 0.2%, higher and the S&P 500 index gained 5 points, or 0.1%, while the NASDAQ Composite declined 25 points, or 0.1%. 

Sentiment recovers as metals pare losses

Sentiment was been hard hit at the end of last week by a steep decline in gold and silver prices, with the precious metals hit by a combination of a firmer dollar and mass profit-taking in the wake of a sharp climb in recent months. 

After a nearly 10% drop late last week, spot gold had earlier fallen sharply earlier Monday, dropping well below a $5,000 level it had topped only days ago. However, losses were quickly pared, and silver, until recently a beneficiary of speculative investments and burnished by its practical applications in a range of industries, managed to edge higher,

Silver had slumped 30% on Friday, with the metal loggng its worst day since March 1980.

The nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair weighed heavily as it resulted in a sharp rise in the U.S. dollar. While Warsh -- who formerly served as a Fed governor -- has aligned with Trump’s calls for sharply lower interest rates, he has also balked at the Fed’s asset buying operations.

"The main macro topic of debate remains the Fed balance sheet, and the potential for Warsh to either shrink it outright or dramatically alter the composition of its assets (by aggressively shifting the duration toward the short-end of the curve), a move that could tighten financial conditions even if the Funds Rate is slashed," said analysts at Vital Knowledge, in a note.

Economic data later in the week could further influence rate expectations. The keenly-watched U.S. January employment report, due on Friday, is expected to show steady job growth and a stable unemployment rate. 

Walt Disney leads earnings parade

The quarterly earnings season is set to continue in full flow this week, with  entertainment giant Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) earlier Monday beating revenue and earnings estimates for the holiday quarter ended in December, helped by strong results from its theme parks and cruise operations.

The media and entertainment giant is expected to name a new chief executive to replace Bob Iger early this year. Hollywood executives believe Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of the experiences division, is the front-runner.

More than 100 S&P 500 companies are due to report this week, including tech giants Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) earnings update last week, which, while showing continued revenue growth, failed to fully reassure markets about the near-term payoff from heavy investment in AI infrastructure.

Amplifying concerns, a Wall Street Journal report over the weekend said that Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) proposed investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI has stalled after internal concerns were raised at the chipmaker.

Elsewhere, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) outlined its plans to raise fresh funds in 2026 that it will deploy towards building out its AI and cloud infrastructure, amid growing demand for more computing capacity.

The company said it expects to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion of gross cash proceeds in 2026, through a mix of debt and equity financing.

Crude falls as Iran risks recede

Oil prices fell sharply Monday as concerns of a U.S. strike on Iran eased, after President Trump said the Middle East crude producer was "seriously talking" with Washington.

Brent futures dropped 4.3% to $66.31 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 4.4% to $62.28 a barrel.

Crude prices had risen sharply last week as markets priced in a greater risk of supply disruptions from this key region after Trump had repeatedly threatened Iran with military action over a nuclear deal and ongoing protests in the country. 

However, risks of a military strike receded after Trump’s weekend comments.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+, left production unchanged during a weekend meeting, as broadly expected. 

Ayushman Ojha contributed to this article

Investing.com -- JPMorgan upgraded Autodesk to Overweight from Neutral, citing stronger fundamentals and a clearer growth path than peers as customers shift toward cloud-based, AI-enabled design software.

The bank said Autodesk stands out within vertical software for its leadership in design and building information modeling software, broader platform reach and faster adoption of cloud and AI tools. Those factors position the company to capture a larger share of spending tied to data centers and infrastructure, which JPM sees as higher-growth end markets.

JPM said Autodesk’s modern technology stack is a key differentiator. Its cloud-native architecture and growing use of AI in design optimization, data access and predictive modeling are helping customers streamline workflows and shorten project timelines. Customer feedback suggests large contractors are increasingly standardizing on Autodesk products for design and compliance, driven by efficiency gains and the need to future-proof operations.

Autodesk remains the market leader in architecture, engineering and construction software, with products such as Revit, Forma and AutoCAD widely used across the industry. JPM highlighted the company’s push to offer an end-to-end platform that spans design, construction and data management, making it more embedded in large projects than rivals focused on narrower parts of the workflow.

The bank also pointed to Autodesk’s expanding platform breadth. Its software integrates more easily across products, reduces data silos and supports customization through plug-ins, allowing customers to adapt to regulatory and operational needs. JPM said newer cloud platforms such as Forma, Fusion and Flow are central to this strategy, with Forma positioned as a comprehensive cloud platform for the construction industry.

Industry trends also favor Autodesk, JPM said. Customers are consolidating software vendors, moving workloads to the cloud and seeking integrated platforms that support compliance, sustainability and operational efficiency. Exposure to data center construction, infrastructure spending and stable end markets such as healthcare, education and logistics should help offset weakness in commercial office construction.

JPM downgraded PTC to Underweight, citing a narrower strategic focus and less exposure to cloud migration and AI-driven workflows, which it said reduces growth options relative to better-positioned peers like Autodesk.

Investing.com -- U.S. stocks stabilized Monday as sharp falls in gold and silver prices were halted, improving sentiment ahead of a packed week of corporate earnings and economic data.

At 09:40 ET (14:40 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 110 points, or 0.2%, higher and the S&P 500 index gained 5 points, or 0.1%, while the NASDAQ Composite declined 25 points, or 0.1%. 

Sentiment recovers as metals pare losses

Sentiment was been hard hit at the end of last week by a steep decline in gold and silver prices, with the precious metals hit by a combination of a firmer dollar and mass profit-taking in the wake of a sharp climb in recent months. 

After a nearly 10% drop late last week, spot gold had earlier fallen sharply earlier Monday, dropping well below a $5,000 level it had topped only days ago. However, losses were quickly pared, and silver, until recently a beneficiary of speculative investments and burnished by its practical applications in a range of industries, managed to edge higher,

Silver had slumped 30% on Friday, with the metal loggng its worst day since March 1980.

The nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair weighed heavily as it resulted in a sharp rise in the U.S. dollar. While Warsh -- who formerly served as a Fed governor -- has aligned with Trump’s calls for sharply lower interest rates, he has also balked at the Fed’s asset buying operations.

"The main macro topic of debate remains the Fed balance sheet, and the potential for Warsh to either shrink it outright or dramatically alter the composition of its assets (by aggressively shifting the duration toward the short-end of the curve), a move that could tighten financial conditions even if the Funds Rate is slashed," said analysts at Vital Knowledge, in a note.

Economic data later in the week could further influence rate expectations. The keenly-watched U.S. January employment report, due on Friday, is expected to show steady job growth and a stable unemployment rate. 

Walt Disney leads earnings parade

The quarterly earnings season is set to continue in full flow this week, with  entertainment giant Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) earlier Monday beating revenue and earnings estimates for the holiday quarter ended in December, helped by strong results from its theme parks and cruise operations.

The media and entertainment giant is expected to name a new chief executive to replace Bob Iger early this year. Hollywood executives believe Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of the experiences division, is the front-runner.

More than 100 S&P 500 companies are due to report this week, including tech giants Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) earnings update last week, which, while showing continued revenue growth, failed to fully reassure markets about the near-term payoff from heavy investment in AI infrastructure.

Amplifying concerns, a Wall Street Journal report over the weekend said that Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) proposed investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI has stalled after internal concerns were raised at the chipmaker.

Elsewhere, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) outlined its plans to raise fresh funds in 2026 that it will deploy towards building out its AI and cloud infrastructure, amid growing demand for more computing capacity.

The company said it expects to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion of gross cash proceeds in 2026, through a mix of debt and equity financing.

Crude falls as Iran risks recede

Oil prices fell sharply Monday as concerns of a U.S. strike on Iran eased, after President Trump said the Middle East crude producer was "seriously talking" with Washington.

Brent futures dropped 4.3% to $66.31 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 4.4% to $62.28 a barrel.

Crude prices had risen sharply last week as markets priced in a greater risk of supply disruptions from this key region after Trump had repeatedly threatened Iran with military action over a nuclear deal and ongoing protests in the country. 

However, risks of a military strike receded after Trump’s weekend comments.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+, left production unchanged during a weekend meeting, as broadly expected. 

Ayushman Ojha contributed to this article