Post-Bell｜US Stocks Fall; SanDisk Up 7%; AGQ Plunged 60%; SLV Down 29%; UGL Down 21%; Western Digital Down 10%; SoFi Down 6%

01 Stock Market

As of Jan 31, the U.S. major indexes closed as follows: Dow Jones down 0.36% at 48,892.47; S&P 500 down 0.43% at 6,939.03; Nasdaq Composite down 0.94% at 23,461.82. Moves reflected pressure across growth and commodities-linked proxies, with notable pockets of strength in select AI storage and individual large caps into the close.

Unusual-move stocks saw sharp dispersion, led by an outsized selloff in precious-metals proxies and mixed action in tech and AI-adjacent names. ProShares Ultra Silver (AGQ) down 59.91% at $160.15; iShares Silver Trust (SLV) down 28.54% at $75.44; ProShares Ultra Gold (UGL) down 20.73% at $67.87; SPDR Gold ETF (GLD) down 10.27% at $444.95; ProShares UltraShort Silver (ZSL) up 49.37% at $2.36. SanDisk (SNDK) up 6.85% at $576.25; Tesla (TSLA) up 3.32% at $430.41. Western Digital (WDC) down 10.12% at $250.23; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) down 6.13% at $236.73; Micron (MU) down 4.80% at $414.88; Intel (INTC) down 4.50% at $46.47; Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x (SOXL) down 12.32% at $61.79. Microsoft (MSFT) down 0.74% at $430.29; Apple (AAPL) up 0.46% at $259.48; Nvidia (NVDA) down 0.72% at $191.13; Alphabet (GOOG) down 0.04% at $338.53; Meta (META) down 2.95% at $716.50. SoFi (SOFI) down 6.36% at $22.81; Palantir (PLTR) down 3.47% at $146.59; Rocket Lab (RKLB) down 6.55% at $80.07. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) down 2.65% at $330.56.

Among U.S.-listed China ADRs, moves were mixed with several outsized swings. Alibaba (BABA) down 2.69% at $169.56; Baidu (BIDU) down 2.75% at $153.18; JD.com (JD) down 2.03% at $28.48; NetEase (NTES) down 2.48% at $128.83; EV names mostly weakened: Li Auto (LI) down 3.65% at $16.63; NIO (NIO) down 1.47% at $4.70; XPeng (XPEV) down 3.28% at $17.98. Standout movers included 111, Inc. (YI) up 41.20% at $7.30; MOGU (MOGU) up 22.13% at $2.37; Oriental Culture (OCG) up 20.00% at $1.62; 36Kr (KRKR) up 19.51% at $4.90; Lixiang Education (LXEH) up 63.50% at $0.34; Kaixin Auto (KXIN) down 88.15% at $1.20.

02 Other Markets

U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose by 0.33%, latest at 4.24%.
USD/CNH rose 0.05%, at 6.95; USD/HKD rose 0.11%, at 7.81.
U.S. Dollar Index rose 1.03%, at 97.15.
WTI crude futures rose 0.49%, at 65.74 USD/bbl; COMEX gold futures fell 8.35%, at 4,907.50 USD/oz.

03 Top News

1. The White House nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, setting the stage for potential policy shifts. The nomination, subject to Senate confirmation, puts a frequent Fed critic in line to influence balance sheet strategy and rates. Investors are weighing implications for liquidity, rate-cut timing, and central bank independence.

2. U.S. producer prices accelerated, signaling potential near-term inflation pressures as businesses pass on costs. The Producer Price Index advanced faster than economists expected, with services margins contributing strongly. The reading could complicate the path for rate cuts and influence expectations around the incoming Fed leadership.

3. Verizon forecast upbeat annual profit and strong free cash flow as wireless subscriber growth hit a multi-year high. Aggressive holiday promotions and bundled plans helped deliver robust net adds, while management guided 2026 EPS and cash flow above consensus. The company continues to streamline operations after significant cost cuts.

4. Exxon Mobil beat quarterly profit estimates, supported by lower-cost production in key basins. Management highlighted efficiency gains and the potential for sustained profitable growth, even as the industry faced last year’s weaker crude prices. Investors are focused on capital allocation plans and any changes to international exposure.

5. Chevron topped profit expectations and is evaluating additional Venezuela opportunities amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. Management reiterated disciplined capital spending and flagged capacity to expand output with further approvals. The company emphasized long-term growth from Guyana and U.S. Gulf projects.

6. Colgate-Palmolive guided to stronger full-year sales growth, underscoring resilient demand for essentials. The company cited firm oral care and cleaning product sales, with a rebound in pet nutrition. Management expects marketing and pricing strategies to support margins despite uneven category growth.

7. American Express posted steady revenue growth and reaffirmed its outlook, as shares edged lower on a minor EPS miss. Spending trends remained healthy, though management noted policy risks around proposed credit-card rate caps. The outlook implies balanced growth and continued focus on premium customers.

8. SoFi reported a jump in profit on rapid growth in fee-based businesses and strong loan originations. The company highlighted record originations and expanding financial services revenue, helping diversify beyond rate-sensitive lending. Management noted potential industry shifts if proposed rate caps alter credit-card economics.

9. Tesla shares gained as reports indicated SpaceX is considering a merger with Tesla or xAI to consolidate Musk’s ecosystem. Potential combinations could link orbital data centers, energy storage, and AI compute, drawing interest from infrastructure and sovereign investors. Any structure would be scrutinized for financing and strategic synergies.

10. Deckers Outdoor raised its annual sales and profit forecast on robust demand for Hoka and UGG. Management pointed to brand strength, product momentum, and effective promotions as drivers of the upgrade. The outlook bolstered confidence in discretionary resilience for core franchises.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data

Disclaimer: This content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.