Stock Futures Slip After S&P 500, Dow Pull Back From Record Highs

These Stocks Could Gain From Venezuela’s Upheaval

7 minutes ago

The U.S. is planning big changes for Venezuela’s oil industry after ousting the country’s president. Shares of a handful of U.S. companies stand to benefit from the upheaval.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday said that the U.S. will control Venezuelan oil sales “indefinitely,” funneling proceeds to American banks and rolling back sanctions that have choked the country’s crude exports for years. Refiners Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) and Phillips 66 (PSX) rose on the news.

Chevron (CVX) is the only U.S. oil major still operating in Venezuela. That head start could be worth billions if the Trump administration follows through on its promise to rebuild the country’s energy sector.

Venezuela has more proven reserves than any other country, but years of economic turmoil, corruption and sanctions have dramatically curtailed its ability to produce and export oil.

So which stocks are positioned to gain from a revitalization of Venezuela’s oil industry?

Read the full article here.

–Peter Gratton

Is the Turnaround Gamble Finally Paying Off for Intel?

41 minutes ago

Shares of Intel (INTC) have surged more than 15% in 2026 as investors grew more optimistic about the future of its chip manufacturing business.

Intel earlier this week unveiled its new “Panther Lake” AI PC chips, its first product made with its long-awaited 18A manufacturing process. The launch marked a milestone for the company that has for years been trying to prove it’s capable of developing and scaling cutting-edge chip manufacturing processes.

Intel’s foundry business entered 2025 in dire straits. The company’s CEO Pat Gelsinger had just been ousted after years of overseeing an expensive and largely fruitless effort to make Intel a viable competitor to chip manufacturing powerhouse Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM). Chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan was made CEO in March. He immediately began cutting costs and selling assets to stanch the bleeding, but shares remained under pressure amid uncertainty about the foundry’s future. 

Then, in August, a chummy meeting between Tan and President Trump changed everything. The Trump administration announced a nearly $10 billion investment in the company, making the U.S. government Intel’s largest shareholder. A month later, Nvidia (NVDA) came on board, agreeing to invest $5 billion and collaborate with its competitor. 

Shares are little changed in premarket trading Thursday.

Read the full article here.

–Colin Laidley

Trump’s Next Reform: Who Gets to Own America’s Homes

54 minutes ago

President Donald Trump provided the first details of his plan for “aggressive” reforms to the housing market on Wednesday.

Trump wrote in a social media post that he is taking steps to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. He also said he is asking Congress to write it into law.

“People live in homes, not corporations,” he wrote.

This is likely the first of several housing industry reforms Trump promised during his Dec. 17 address to the nation. More details on the ban are expected during Trump’s upcoming speech at the annual World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled for Jan. 19-23.2

The housing market has sidelined many would-be buyers as affordability has declined: Mortgage rates remained well above 6% throughout 2025 and housing prices remained elevated.

Investor activity in the housing market can make it even more difficult for ordinary homebuyers to compete for homes. 

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

Are You Spending Too Much on Housing? Mortgage Trends by Age

1 hr 12 min ago

A bigger yard. A real asset. A blank slate to make a place your own. Whatever your reason, buying a home is a big step—and it’s crucial that it’s not more than your budget can handle.

There are a few ways to determine whether a home purchase is affordable for you, including the 28/36 rule. Another guideline suggests that your mortgage shouldn’t be more than twice or three times your annual gross income.

So how is the typical American faring these days? Is the typical (median) mortgage affordable? Let’s see how much people are really spending on their mortgages, in total and per month.

How do you know what you can afford? Using the 28/36 rule, you would first take your monthly gross income and multiply it by 28%. That’s your maximum monthly mortgage payment.

Then, take your monthly gross income and multiply it by 36%. That’s the most you should devote to your debts per month, including your mortgage and any other debts (auto loans, student loans, etc.).

Read the full article here.

–Jeanette Beebe

Stock Futures Slip After S&P 500, Dow Pull Back From Record Highs

1 hr 30 min ago

Futures contracts associated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointed 0.3% lower.

S&P 500 futures slipped 0.2%.

Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.3%.