Crypto-linked stocks surge as industry cheers incoming “crypto president”

Crypto-adjacent stocks like MicroStrategy, Coinbase, MARA Holdings, and Riot Platforms are on a tear along with bitcoin on Friday in the final session before Donald Trump — the self-styled crypto president — returns to office.

The digital asset is up 4.6% as of 1:45 p.m. ET, its best day of the month (and the young year) so far.

Call volumes on the iShares Bitcoin Trust are above 412,000 as of 1:45 p.m. ET, a record for the product.

The president-elect reportedly plans to sign an executive order declaring crypto a national priority.

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Nate Becker21m

Stocks jump as Trump says “I won’t use force” to acquire Greenland

In a speech in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump said he won’t use force to acquire Greenland, sending stocks higher at the open.

“We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable, but I won’t do that,” Trump told the crowd, referring to his pursuit of Greenland, which has roiled markets recently. “People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

He seemed to indicate that Denmark, which owns Greenland, could rebuff the US’s overtures to acquire the country without military retaliation.

“They have a choice. You can say yes and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember,” he said. Throughout his speech, Trump constantly reiterated his desire for the US to own Greenland.

Stocks rose at the open, with the S&P 500 rising 0.3%. S&P 500 futures, which had been down Wednesday morning, jumped after his comments.

J. Edward Moreno35m

J&J slips despite cheery 2026 guidance

Johnson & Johnson reported fourth-quarter sales that beat expectations and gave rosy guidance for 2026.

The company said it expects to bring in between $100 billion and $101 billion in revenue this year, compared to the $98.9 billion analysts polled by FactSet were expecting. The drugmaker also expects to report between $11.43 and $11.63 in annual adjusted earnings per share, compared to the $11.48 that Wall Street was expecting.

Despite beating expectations, J&J, the first major drugmaker to report earnings results this year, fell by more than 2% in premarket trading.

Luke Kawa3h

GameStop rallies after CEO Ryan Cohen purchases $10.6 million in company stock

Ryan Cohen isn’t waiting for any market cap and EBITDA performance milestones to get his hands on more shares of GameStop.

The CEO boosted his stake in the video game and collectibles retailer by roughly $10.6 million on Tuesday, purchasing 500,000 shares across a series of transactions at an average weighted price close to $21.12.

Shares are up nearly 2% in premarket trading on Wednesday.

Cohen owns approximately 8.45% of shares outstanding, making him the largest individual holder of the stock and the second-largest owner, trailing only index fund provider Vanguard. His last open market purchase of GameStop was on April 3, 2025 — also for 500,000 shares at a weighted price slightly higher than Tuesday’s buys.

GameStop recently announced a long-term pay package for Cohen that would tie his remuneration completely to the company and stock’s performance. If approved, it would see the CEO receive options that allow him to buy company stock at a discount if he’s able to concurrently achieve escalating levels of cumulative EBITDA and market cap milestones.

To receive the first tranche, Cohen would need GameStop to have bottom-line results roughly on par with any three-year stretch of the 2010s, while attaining a market cap that the company only received on a closing basis during the 2021 meme stock episode.

During his tenure atop the company, Cohen has proven adept at controlling expenses and overseeing the rapid growth of GameStop’s collectibles business, resulting in the retailer generating positive cash flow from operations for a record six consecutive quarters.

Separately, board member Alain Attal also purchased about $251,000 in company stock on Tuesday.

Netflix sinks on lower-than-expected earnings forecast

Netflix’s report dropped on the same day it officially went all-cash in its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Max Knoblauch18h

United Airlines rallies after Q4 earnings and Q1 profit guidance top estimates

Shares of United Airlines are rising after the bell on Tuesday, following the release of the carrier’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings report.

United posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.10 in Q4, above the $2.92 per share expected by Wall Street analysts polled by Bloomberg. Sales of $15.4 billion were roughly in line with the consensus estimate.

The airline also:

Forecast full-year earnings per share between $12 and $14, bracketing Wall Street’s call for $13.04. For Q1, management sees EPS between $1.00 and $1.50, the midpoint of which is above the $1.16 expected by Wall Street.
Booked $13.93 billion in passenger revenue on the quarter, up nearly 5% year over year.

“Strong revenue momentum has continued into 2026,” according the company’s press release. “The week ending January 4th was the highest flown revenue week in United history, and the week ending January 11th was the highest ticketing week and the highest week for business sales in United history.”

UAL’s premium ticket revenue climbed 9% compared to a 7% increase in basic economy revenue. The “K-shaped economy” has become increasingly visible in travel trends at major US airlines. Last week, Delta’s revenue from first-class and business passengers eclipsed its main cabin revenue for the first time.

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