🧪 YEN Getting Smoked

Good Morning!

Today’s session? A mixed bag of record highs, retailer headaches, and crypto chaos. The S&P 500 is flexing with back-to-back record closes, while Walmart decided to crash the party with a gloomy outlook. Alibaba is on fire, Block took a hit despite Bitcoin’s rally, and gold? Investors are piling in as uncertainty reigns.

Speaking of Bitcoin—it just smashed through $97K, and somehow Ye wants in on the crypto action (because, of course, he does).

Oh, and Japan’s yen? Getting smoked as inflation heats up.

Let’s get into it 👇

🚨 NEW: Politician Trades—Sent to You Every Monday

They know something you don’t—until now.

Every week, politicians quietly make market moves before the rest of us catch on.

But starting this Monday, I’m pulling back the curtain.

Out-Trade Congress gives you a full breakdown of last week’s disclosed trades, plus my insights on how to capitalize before the market reacts.

❗ First edition drops this Monday—don’t miss out. 

Upgrade now to get exclusive access.

🌡 TradingLab’s Headline Roundup

Stock Markets

• S&P 500 Logs Back-to-Back Record Closes as Traders Look Past Fed Warnings

• Dow Jones Sheds 450 Points as Walmart Outlook Dents Growth Prospects

• Rivian Stock Seesaws After Light Guidance Distracts from First Gross Profit

• Alibaba Posts Fastest Revenue Growth Since 2023

• Microsoft Stock Jumps 1% on Quantum Chip Powered by New State of Matter

• AI is reshaping industries, and one company is leading the way. Gain insight into the future of tech with The Motley Fool’s exclusive report. Learn more and invest smarter. *

Crypto

• Bitcoin Picks Up Pace to Cross $97,000 amid Broad Crypto Enthusiasm

• Strategy’s Michael Saylor says the US should aim to hold 20% of Bitcoin

• Crypto Market Faces Weak Demand, Needs Trump Initiatives to Kick In, JPMorgan Says

• Ye, Who Said 'Coins Prey on Fans,' Plans YZY Token

Commodities/Forex

• Yen Falls as Japan’s Inflation Heats Up to 4% — Highest in Two Years

Upcoming Earnings

📅 Friday, 21st February

• Atmus Filtration Technologies (ATMU)

• Balchem (BCPC)

• Brady (BRC)

• Oil States (OIS)

• Sunstone Hotel (SHO)

• Telephone & Data (TDS)

• TXNM Energy (TXNM)

• Uniti Group (UNIT)

📈 What’s Moving Markets Today?

🔥 Futures Flatline: Market Catches Its Breath

Ah, the sweet scent of market indecision. U.S. stock futures are doing their best impression of a deer in headlights—barely moving an inch. The Dow futures are up a whopping 0.1%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures are essentially flat. Traders are still digesting the first month of President Trump's latest term, with a side of tariff talk and geopolitical jitters.

📌 Key Points:

• 📈 Dow Futures: Up 0.1%

• 🏛 S&P 500 Futures: Flat

• 💻 Nasdaq Futures: Flat

🛒 Walmart's Retail Reality Check

In the retail arena, Walmart decided to play party pooper. The retail giant offered a lackluster annual sales forecast, fueling concerns about consumer spending. Despite executives insisting shopping habits remain "resilient," investors aren’t buying it.

📌 Highlights:

• 🔻 Earnings Guidance: Disappointed analysts

• 📉 Stock Reaction: Shares tumbled 6.5% on the news

🚀 Alibaba's Riding the AI Wave

Meanwhile, across the Pacific, Alibaba is having a moment. The Chinese e-commerce titan reported an 8% revenue boost in the December quarter, thanks to its aggressive dive into artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The stock soared over 14%, hitting its highest levels since 2022.

Alibaba’s CEO, Eddie Wu, isn’t shy about the company’s a

mbitions, declaring AI as Alibaba's "primary objective." Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

📌 Key Figures:

• 📊 Revenue Growth: Up 8% year-over-year

• ☁️ Cloud Intelligence Revenue: Up 13%

• 📈 Stock Performance: Up ~60% year-to-date

💳 Block Stumbles

Over in fintech land, Block (formerly Square) didn’t have much to brag about. 😕 Despite a holiday season boost and Bitcoin's price rally, the company’s fourth-quarter income fell short of expectations. Shares took a hit in after-hours trading, proving that even Jack Dorsey isn’t immune to a bad day at the office.

📌 Details:

• 💰 Earnings Per Share: $0.71 adjusted (missed forecast of $0.87)

• ₿ Bitcoin Revenue: $2.43 billion (below expected $2.62 billion)

🏆 Gold Investors Seek Safety

With all this uncertainty, it’s no surprise that gold prices are shining. ✨💰 The precious metal pulled back slightly from record highs but is still on track for a positive week. Investors are flocking to safe-haven assets, thanks to trade tensions and economic concerns. When in doubt, buy gold.

📌 Current Price:

• $270.99 per share for SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD)

🎢 The Takeaway: Buckle Up

As we head into the weekend, the markets are serving up a cocktail of caution with a twist of optimism. 🍸 Between geopolitical dramas, corporate earnings surprises, and looming tariffs, volatility is the name of the game.

📢 NEW: Every Monday, We Expose Politician Trades

For years, politicians have been quietly making market moves before the rest of us catch on. Now, I’m tracking their trades—and every Monday, I’ll send you a full breakdown of last week’s disclosed transactions, along with my takeaways, insights, and strategies on how to profit from them.

Want to see what they’re buying and selling before everyone else? Upgrade now to unlock exclusive access.

👇

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Your Insider Advantage Includes:

• • Discover which stocks top politicians are buying and selling before the market catches on.
• • No fluff—just clear takeaways and strategies you can actually use.
• • My take on how to profit from their moves.
• • Politicians have the edge; now you do too. Flip the script and start trading like the real insiders.