Stocks started the week on a down note as technology once again led major indices lower.
Sales of Magnificent 7 shares were mixed across the board, as Alphabet, which received a boost over the weekend following the report that Berkshire Hathaway had initiated a significant position in the company, was a notable exception.
Traders are eagerly awaiting September jobs numbers expected to be released Thursday after a delay due to the government shutdown.
If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick questions that make many Americans realize they may retire earlier than expected. take 5 minutes to learn more here
the futures are trading lower for the fourth day in a row, following heavy selling on Monday, particularly in some of the top tech names, such as NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA), after it was revealed that billionaire Peter Thiel had sold his entire position in the stock during the third quarter. This comes on the heels of Softbank announcing the liquidation of its entire position in the company last week, and Michael Burry of “Big Short” fame buying NVIDIA put options. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) was the big winner on Monday after it was revealed that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) had initiated a substantial $4.3 billion position, as Warren Buffett’s legacy firm purchased approximately 17.8 million Alphabet shares in the third quarter of 2025.
financial world remains focused on upcoming data, such as the September jobs report, which is expected to be released Thursday. The 43-day government shutdown delayed the release of the most crucial economic numbers on which both Wall Street and the Federal Reserve depend.
treasury bonds Monday saw some modest buying across the curve, with lower yields across almost all maturities. While the S&P 500 earnings for the quarter are now mostly complete and upcoming economic data is on the way, it’s essential to remember that members of the Federal Reserve are currently in a blackout period, so financial and market commentary from that group is expected to remain silent for a while. The 30-year bond closed with a yield of 4.73%, and the benchmark 10-year bond last seen at 4.13%.
After a stellar finish to last week, the energy complex was lower across the board on Monday, as both benchmark indices finished lower and natural gas declined more than 5%. Oil traded lower after it was announced that cargo operations had resumed at the Russian export hub of Novorossiysk, following a two-day suspension caused by the Ukrainian attacks. Additionally, concerns about oversupply remain, even though OPEC+ had previously announced that the production increase initially planned for January was delayed and the group decided to pause production increases. Brent crude oil ended trading at $64.04, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $59.76. Natural gas had the most significant drop, closing Monday at $4.36, as profit-taking took center stage.
the benefit Buyers also flocked to gold on Monday, sending the bullion down 0.93% to close the day at $4,043. Traders cited ongoing concerns that the Federal Reserve will not cut rates at the last meeting of the year, as expectations have fallen from over 70% last week to just below the 50% mark. It will be interesting to see if gold can hold the $4,000 level, a range it surpassed in late October after a massive rally in 2025.
like others assets and sectors, the cryptocurrency market fell mainly due to the continued decline in confidence in the Federal Reserve for an interest rate cut in December, which generated a broader sentiment of “risk aversion” in global markets. Bitcoin was trading at $91,620 as of 4 pm EST, while Ethereum was trading at $2,992. Higher interest rates generally make “riskier” assets, such as cryptocurrencies, less attractive to institutional investors. Bitcoin briefly traded below the $90,000 level this morning before reclaiming that level; all of the Crypto giant’s 2025 profits are now officially gone.
Wall Street 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no analyst call should be used as a basis for buying or selling a stock. Higher interest rates generally make “riskier” assets, such as cryptocurrencies, less attractive to institutional investors.
here are some of top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
AES Corp. (NYSE: AES) was upgraded to Hold from Sell on Jefferies with a $13 price target.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Loop Capital, which has set a price target of $320.
Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NYSE: DECK) upgraded to a Buy rating on Stifel from Hold with a $117 price target.
Legence Corp. (NASDAQ: LGN) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies with a price target of $49.
Pennant Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PNTG) is upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Wells Fargo with a $31 price target.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Rothschild & Co. Redburn with a $250 price target.
Civitas Resources Inc. (NYSE: CIVI) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight on Piper Sandler, which has a $27 price target on the stock.
Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) was cut to equal weight from an overweight at Barclays, lowering the price target on the Dividend Aristocrat to $106 from $113.
Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE:HON) was twice downgraded to Underperform from Buy at Bank of America with a $205 price target.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Rothschild & Co. Redburn with a target of $250.
Vici Properties Inc. (NASDAQ:VICI) was downgraded to equal weight from overweight on Wells Fargo with a $32 price target.
Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE:BYD) was started with an Equal Weight rating on Wells Fargo, which has an $85 price target.
DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) was started with an equal weight rating from Wells Fargo, which has a $31 price target.
Flutter Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: FLUT) started with an Overweight rating on Wells Fargo with a $272 price target.
FormFactor Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM) was initiated with an Overweight rating on Cantor Fitzgerald with a $75 price target.
Qualys Inc. (NASDAQ:QLYS) started with a Hold rating at Berenberg with a $165 price target.
Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) was started with a Buy rating at Berenberg with a $400 price target.
You might think retirement is about picking the best stocks or ETFs, but you’d be wrong. Even large investments can be a drawback during retirement. The difference comes down to something simple: accumulation versus distribution. The difference is causing millions of people to reconsider their plans.
The good news? After answering three quick questions, many Americans find they can retire earlier than expected. If you are thinking about retiring or know someone who is, take 5 minutes to learn more here.
