Stock Market Today: Tech Earnings & Gold Surge to $5,000

Powell’s Future, Student debt, and Market Volatility: Key Economic Headlines on January 26, 2026

The U.S. economic landscape remained dynamic on January 26, 2026, with developments ranging from the potential for a surprising continuation of Jerome Powell’s leadership at the Federal Reserve to a surge in gold prices and notable market fluctuations. Investors navigated concerns about geopolitical tensions, a possible government shutdown, and a winter storm disrupting travel, while grappling with issues like rising student loan debt among seniors and fallout from a major data breach.

Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s Unexpected possible Second Term

Speculation is mounting that Jerome powell may remain at the helm of the Federal Reserve beyond his current term, despite a strained relationship with President Donald Trump. While Powell’s chairmanship officially ends in May, experts now believe it’s increasingly likely he could continue serving on the Federal Open Market Committee, and potentially even retain his position as chair.This shift in perspective comes as President Trump actively seeks a new Fed chair, creating a scenario where his public criticism of Powell could inadvertently lead to the current chair remaining in a key leadership role.

“We think it is indeed now more likely that Powell will stay on as a governor to help protect the Fed after his term as chair ends,” noted a research note from Krishna Guha, vice chair of Evercore ISI. The possibility of Powell remaining in a leadership capacity will undoubtedly be a central topic at his post-FOMC press conference next week. The Fed is currently expected to hold interest rates steady at its next meeting on Wednesday,maintaining a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, with traders assigning a 97% probability to this outcome. However, the question of Powell’s future and his ability to

Booz Allen Faces Scrutiny After Data Breach

A recent data breach at Booz Allen Hamilton – totaling $4.8 million in annual spending and $21 million in total obligations – was “an essential step to increasing Americans’ trust in government,” emphasizing that Booz Allen “failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect sensitive data.” Shares of Booz Allen were down 8.5% Monday morning, despite a 7% surge on Friday following a positive profit forecast.

Winter Storm Disrupts Travel Across the U.S.

A severe winter storm has caused widespread travel chaos across the United States. Over 20,000 flights were canceled between Saturday and Monday morning, according to FlightAware. An additional 4,300 flights were canceled for monday, with over 10,400 experiencing delays. Airports in New York City, Boston, philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., were especially hard hit, with cancellation rates ranging from 50% to nearly 100%. Boston Logan airport currently faces a 60% cancellation rate, while John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International are experiencing rates close to 50%.

Gold Surges Above $5,000 Amidst Global Uncertainty

The price of gold reached a historic milestone over the weekend, surpassing $5,000 per troy ounce for the first time and peaking at $5,115 Monday morning. This surge is attributed to a combination of factors, including a perceived cooling of geopolitical tensions related to affairs involving the U.S., Greenland, and mainland Europe, alongside ongoing concerns about a potential U.S. government shutdown.

Analysts note that gold is increasingly viewed as a safe-haven asset amid broader uncertainty regarding the realignment of U.S. relationships with allies and trading partners. Investor appetite for gold remains strong,with some analysts predicting prices could reach $6,000 in the future,building on the previous milestone of $4,000 reached in early October.

Other Market movers

Several other notable market movements occurred on January 26, 2026. USA Rare Earth shares soared 21% in premarket trading following a non-binding agreement with the U.S.Department of Commerce for $1.6 billion in federal funding. Conversely, Revolution Medicines stock plummeted roughly 20% after reports surfaced that Merck was no longer pursuing an acquisition of the biotech firm. bill Gates cautioned investors about the inflated valuations of some AI stocks,warning that not all will deliver returns. Stock futures pointed lower Monday morning, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 futures down fractionally. .

These developments underscore the complex and rapidly evolving economic environment, demanding careful attention from investors and policymakers alike.