Jim Cramer highlights 10 key market events for Monday, Jan. 26. A busy earnings week includes major reports from Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. A severe winter storm benefits retailers Home Depot and Costco. Nvidia announces a $2B investment in CoreWeave. Analyst upgrades and downgrades are noted for Alphabet, Apple, and Applovin. Eaton plans a spinoff, and Capital One faces a lowered price target. Restaurant sales forecasts and Starbucks price target updates are also key items.
My Top 10 Things to Watch Monday, Jan. 26
1.
Stocks were little changed this morning as Wall Street prepares for a busy earnings week. Club holdings Boeing, Corning, Danaher, GE Vernova, Starbucks, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Dover, Honeywell, and Apple will all release results.
In my Sunday column, I break down what I’m hoping to see from our Big Tech names. Monday also follows a tumultuous week for the stock market, spurred by President Donald Trump’s tariff talks.
2.
A massive winter snowstorm over the weekend halted traffic, canceled flights, and caused school closures across the southern and eastern United States. It’s great news, however, for Club holdings Home Depot and Costco.
It’s fair to assume Americans turned to these retailers to both prepare for and recover from the historic weather conditions. Meanwhile, natural gas prices surged again this morning on the bitter cold, topping $6 per million British thermal units for the first time since late 2022.
3.
Eaton announced plans this morning to separate its vehicle and e-mobility businesses to form another independent publicly traded company. This should unlock immediate value for the Club stock.
Shares of the power management firm are up nearly 2% in premarket trading.
4.
Melius Research said revenue for Club name Nvidia could “accelerate sequentially” into calendar year 2027, despite investor concerns that higher memory prices could crowd out demand for its graphics processing units. The analysts also said to stick with Club name Broadcom.
This morning, Nvidia announced a $2 billion investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure provider CoreWeave, whose stock jumped 8% on the news. Nvidia was already a major CoreWeave backer.
5.
JPMorgan raised its price target on Apple to $315 from $305 and maintained a buy rating ahead of quarterly earnings on Thursday. Analysts see a positive setup for the stock going into the report, given its recent underperformance despite positive data around “robust” iPhone 17 demand.
I say own, don’t trade Apple.
6.
Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Meta to buy from hold and boosted its price target to $900 from $740. The analysts warned that the stock, which closed Friday near $659, could drop if higher costs hurt earnings.
However, the firm sees a disconnect between the current share price and the Facebook parent’s long-term value. KeyBanc and Roth Capital lowered their price targets, though those targets remain well above current stock levels.
7.
KeyBanc raised its price target on Club holding Alphabet to $360 from $330 and maintained its buy rating, citing strong artificial intelligence prospects. However, analysts noted that some of the AI benefits are increasingly being priced into the stock.
Google-parent Alphabet reports earnings next week.
8.
Needham upgraded AppLovin to buy from hold with a $700 price target. The stock has pulled back from its highs. Analysts said AppLovin’s revenue trajectory could resemble that of TikTok, which they described as impressive.
AppLovin provides software solutions that help businesses and developers monetize mobile apps.
9.
Barclays cut its price target on Club name Capital One to $287 from $294 while maintaining a buy rating. Analysts see the Brex acquisition as a positive move to expand commercial card exposure, positioning Capital One to better compete with American Express.
We were not deterred by Capital One’s mixed quarterly results last week.
10.
Bank of America released a major restaurant earnings preview this morning, predicting slowing same-store sales growth in the December 2025 quarter. However, analysts do see signs of a recovery beginning in January this year.
For Club name Starbucks, Bank of America raised its price target to $120 from $114.