Author: Timothy St. John

Timothy St John is a seasoned financial analyst and writer, catering to the dynamic landscapes of the US and European markets. Boasting over a decade of extensive freelance writing experience, he has made significant contributions to reputable platforms such as Yahoo!Finance, business.com: Expert Business Advice, Tips, and Resources - Business.com, and numerous others. Timothy's expertise lies in in-depth research and comprehensive coverage of stock and cryptocurrency movements, coupled with a keen understanding of the economic factors influencing currency dynamics. Timothy majored in English at East Tennessee State University, and you can find him on LinkedIn.

Microsoft Trying to Recover after 10% Stock Drop

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Thursday, Microsoft (MSFT) stock fell 10% after the company released their quarterly earnings report that showed a strong performance that was not strong enough.

AI-related stocks like Microsoft have a lot to prove to investors.

Microsoft lost $350 billion in market value after a mixed showing for their quarterly earnings report. During a big week for tech stocks, MSFT underperformed and their stock has lost all of its recent gains and more. On Friday, the stock recovered only 0.5% before falling again.

The company posted strong earnings that beat Wall Street estimates, but investors were not impressed. The company’s earnings per share hit $4.14, far better than the $4.14 that was expected. They also saw a revenue increase of 17%, hitting $81.27 billion. None of that was enough to keep the stock from sinking, and their case is indicative of a larger problem within the tech niche.

Why MSFT Stock Fell after a Good Quarterly Showing

Microsoft beat the estimates posted by Wall Street for their quarterly earnings report and yet their stock fell off a cliff. How is that possible? Part of the problem is the low-trending stock which dropped from $517 to $444 over three months. That is a loss of 14% at a time when stock market indices are hitting all-time highs.

Microsoft stock should not be losing value right now, but that is exactly what is happening. The wider tech market has a similar problem to Microsoft, and that is excessive spending on AI technology and other tech resources and a lack of profits to make up for it. It does not matter that Microsoft made billions for the recent quarter if they also spent billions to grow their AI side.

Microsoft’s Azure cloud service may be growing, picking up more users and making incredible profits, but Microsoft is also investing incredible amounts of money into artificial intelligence. The company has a problem with overspending, and their costs are only going to increase since the cost of chips and data centers necessary for their AI arm is on the rise as well.

The technology market makes up a key part of the stock market, and many other tech giants are having the same struggle on the stock market that Microsoft is. They may be bringing in impressive revenue, but their expenses are mounting with the rising cost of AI infrastructure and development. Any company that invests heavily into this technology puts themselves in the crosshairs of analysts who will be quick to point out the cost of AI tech and how tight profit margins tend to be for companies that rely on the tech extensively.

Massive Drop for Bitcoin Sparks Panicked BTC Price Predictions

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) tumbled to $82,417 (BTC/USD) on Friday in one of its sharpest declines in weeks, causing widespread panic in the crypto industry and a broad selloff.

Bitcoin is at its lowest point in many months after news of a fed changeup.

The cryptocurrency market began crashing on Friday as President Donald Trump announced he would be nominating Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Governor. The hawkish pick could mean more interest rate cuts, and Bitcoin fell more than 6% as a result.

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While internet rate cuts can be good for the market in the short term, multiple cuts during a time of high inflation can lead to economic disaster. This is what has the market concerned right now, and investors are dumping Bitcoin quickly as they anticipate further decline.

Bitcoin Enters Freefall

The trend that has caught hold of Bitcoin now is a dangerous one, and it could definitely push the coin toward its bottom. That may be around $62K, according to some analysts.

The current Bitcoin price is the lowest the token has dropped since April of 2025, and that signals to the market that the coin is not doing well. It has been months since the coin has hit a record high and months since it has made it above the $100K level. There is very little chance that the BTC rate will be able to recover anytime soon.

Extreme selling pressure is gripping the crypto market right now, with Ethereum (ETH) down 6% and XRP (XRP) falling 6.4%. A number of crypto tokens are falling sharply in the wake of Bitcoin’s decline, and only some of that can be traced back to the Federal Reserve announcement.

Cryptocurrency has been trending bearish since about the middle of January, wiping out its early 2026 gains and causing massive selloffs among small investors and whales alike. Investor confidence in the crypto market is waning, and it is stronger that this is happening at a time when a new regulatory bill is being drafted that could give the market incredible strength moving forward. But the bill is not in effect yet, and the market has been weak for months, and the latest decline is a symptom of a large problem of volatility.

Bitcoin is unlikely to have whales rescue it yet. There is too much uncertainty in the market at the moment, and it does not make sense for investors to jump in and push the coin upward when there is still room for BTC to fall. We have likely not seen the bottom yet for the coin in this current cycle, so investors may want to hold tight and wait the bear trend out.

Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P 500 All Dip on Federal Reserve Chair Uncertainty

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Stock futures declined on Friday as the market opened to news that President Donald Trump had nominated Kevin Warsh as the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

The Dow and other indices are down today on Fed Chair news.

It looks like Warsh will be replacing Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve governor if Trump has his way. The shakeup could cause volatility in the stock market, with investors worried about how much freedom the Fed will have with a Trump pick in place.

Warsh is known for a hawkish stance on Federal Reserve decisions, as he was formerly the Fed Governor. If he does get the position, he may recommend rate cuts more regularly than Powell did, and that could cause increased inflation. Inflation remains around 2.7%, higher than the Fed’s target of 2%, which is why the Fed did not issue a rate cut for January at this week’s monetary policy meeting.

Stock Market Reacts to Trump Pick

The Dow fell 0.3% on Friday but it is still close to a record high as it holds around 49,000 points. The S&P 500 likewise dipped and lost 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.5% for the day so far. At the same time, the dollar is climbing, gold and silver are dipping, and the cryptocurrency market is extremely bearish.

There could be more tariffs incoming, since Trump has threatened to issue tariffs against Canadian imports for the aircraft industry. His proposal is a 50% tariff as a means to counter Canada’s restrictive policy on Gulfstream jet sales. We may see the President walk back his tariff threat if Canada responds in a positive way to his demands. However, even talk of new tariffs causes the stock market to slow down and puts an end to rallies.

The stock market indices remain very close to their all-time highs, with tech and energy stocks performing the best. This is a big week for technology stocks in particular, and Meta Platforms, Tesla, Microsoft, and Amazon are all reporting quarterly earnings. Some of those have already released this week, and Meta has come out as the stock to beat with massive revenue increases and a strong outlook moving forward.

The stock indices are mostly higher this week than they were last week. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices are up, but the Dow Jones is down slightly. The market can handle a shift like Warsh’s nomination for now, but the long-term impact could be harmful to the stock market numbers.

Tesla Makes Big Changes to Focus on Autonomous Future

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Tesla (TSLA) will stop making the Model X SUV and Model S sedan electric vehicles by the middle of the year, according to CEO Elon Musk, and they are turning their focus to robots.

Tesla sales dropped in their fourth quarter for 2025, leading to stock decline as well.

On Wednesday, Musk said the future is autonomous machines for Tesla, and the company is attempting to become more than just a car business. They are discontinuing two of their EVs and taking the factory space allocated for those vehicles and using them to build robots.

Tesla announced plans last year to move forward with their Optimus robots, and now they are condensing their lineup of Tesla vehicles and shifting to what Musk calls “an autonomous future.”

Tesla Stock Reacts to Earnings Report

The price of Tesla stock moved down 2.62% on Thursday after the company released a disappointing earnings statement on Wednesday. Tesla reported $24.9 billion in revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter, and that was a drop of 3% from the same time last year. The decrease is due to diminishing EV sales across the world, and that is not just for Tesla. Many of their competitors felt the squeeze of waning interest in EVs as well as the dropped tax incentive for buying a new EV.

The company also experienced smaller profit margins in 2025, leading to decreased net income for the quarter. Their adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.50, which was down tremendously from the previous year for the same 4^th quarter.

This year, Tesla is planning to dramatically increase production on its Optimus robots, and Musk is betting that will help the company meet the sky-high sales and stock goals that have been set for him to receive a trillion dollar payout. The company also rolled out its robotaxi service last year to decent results, and these moves are part of their wider strategy to transition away from just being known as an automaker, especially in a time when interest in electric vehicles is falling around the world.

Tesla stock is down 3.8% for the year so far and about 3.9% above where it was at the same time last year. 2025 was a tough year for the company, and they have a lot of work to get back to the kind of profits they enjoyed in 2023 and 2024.

Bitcoin Losing Fight with $90K Resistance Level

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bad news for Bitcoin (BTC) holders for Thursday as the coin dipped below $90K to $87,926 (BTC/USD), and one analyst says that BTC rate could hit the reserve cost level near $62,000.

Bitcoin falls once more and could be in a long bearish trend now.

Bitcoin lost ground this week and fell 1.79% over the last seven days and 2.44% in the last 24 hours. The losses can be attributed to a hawkish Federal Reserve, which said there would be no interest rate cut for now, as well as the tremendous selling pressure caused by Bitcoins struggle to hit $90K.

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Now, Bitcoin is in a bearish cycle that may be tough to break out of. Since the coin was not able to hold the line above $90K, investors are likely to dump it quickly. It may lose whale support as well and could have an even harder time surpassing that same resistance level over the coming weeks.

What Is the Bottom for Bitcoin?

The BTC price could fall as low as $62,000, according to crypto analyst Burak Kesmeci. His prediction is that Bitcoin may hit that level it last saw in 2024 because the coin is behaving similarly to how it did before spot ETFs come on the scene and elevated the BTC price level.

The extended play below $100K is definitely hurting Bitcoin’s prospects, and few analysts are very hopeful about its short-term potential. The long-term outlook is better, with price predictions set for $150K and higher in the next few years, but short-term investors are left with a coin that simply is not performing well and has not been for months.

The cryptocurrency market is seeing widespread investor abandonment for late January. The year started off well with crypto tokens surging, but that momentum is gone, and both Bitcoin and the wider crypto market are in a bearish phase. The Federal Reserve is not helping the situation with its stand on issuing no rate cuts for now.

Interest in crypto has been waning at the tail end of January as political tensions increase in Iran and gold and silver values climb. Investors should watch out for cyclical change that could see the market surge in early February. The best case scenario is that the current bear trend is short lived and ends up not keeping Bitcoin down for very long as whales pick up the pace and economic reports start to show signs of growth.

Minor Stock Market Gains for Nasdaq, Major Gains for Meta

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Timothy St. John

The stock market indices added only minor gains on Wednesday as Magnificent Seven stocks started to report their earnings, but Meta gained 8% after a strong report.

Stocks are up only slightly for Thursday after mixed earnings reports from Magnificent Seven stocks.

Meta Platforms (META) performed well in the most recent quarter, with revenue forecasts higher than Wall Street expected. Their stock price jumped from $669 to $727 as the market closed on Wednesday, but investors should expect some pullback as the stock price stabilizes.

Microsoft (MSFT), on the other hand, suffered a 7% stock price drop after they posted quarterly earnings that showed their cloud growth was not as expansive as expected. This had been their strongest area of growth in recent quarters.

Meta Impresses as Stocks Shift Slightly

This is a big week for quarterly earnings reports, as several major tech companies have already reported their earnings, and a few more still remain. Tesla (TSLA) stock rose 2% as they announced they would be ending production on several EV models and turning their focus to robotics. Their earnings report demonstrated that annual revenue was down, but investors chose to focus on the positives.

Tensions are on the rise in Iran between that country and the United States, and the conflict there could hurt the market in the coming weeks. For now, crude oil futures are up and the stock market is near record highs.

The Federal Reserve held a monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, and the outcome was predictable. The Fed decided not to issue a rate cut and to keep interest rates as they are, which was in line with expectations. That means that the market will have to grow on its own speed for now without any help from the Fed.

It is technology stocks like Meta that will drive most of the investment interest for now. The company posted impressive revenue figures and announced plans for heavy AI investment. Their revenue climbed 24% for the quarter, and that brought their earnings per share to $8.88. With revenue of nearly $60 billion, the company is looking good, and the company anticipates that its total expenditures for the current will come up to about $162 billion, with around $120 billion in capital expenditures.

Microsoft Bullish ahead of Quarterly Earnings Report

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Microsoft (MSFT) stock is climbing as the company prepares to release its earnings statement for the current quarter this week. Their stock has jumped 7.8% in the last week.

Microsoft is a key player in the AI market, and investors are watching their earnings closely.

AI-related stocks have performed well this week, and that includes Microsoft, which has invested heavily in the technology niche. This week is incredibly busy for major stock earnings reports, including Apple, Tesla, and Meta Platforms.

Their quarterly reports should shift the market at a time when it is already bullish. We could see Microsoft’s stock value shoot up as a result, carried by positive investor sentiment.

High Expectations Will Make or Break Microsoft This Week

Investors expect a lot from Microsoft and megacap stocks right now, with a particular focus on tech stocks, and it is on stocks like MSFT that the future of the AI market is resting. Those stocks went through a rough period at the end of last year as investors and analysts worried about how profitable AI would be for companies that had invested considerable time and finances into artificial intelligence.

Microsoft is among those leading tech companies that have made AI a focus over the past few years, and after the trying period in November and December of 2025 for the AI market, investors are eager to see if Microsoft can perform well during its quarterly report.

Microsoft will likely be compared to Apple and Meta Platforms, since they are part of the Magnificent Seven stocks and will be releasing earnings statements this week as well. Microsoft really needs to report earnings that are in line with Wall Street estimates or better than those estimates. Otherwise, they will be adding fuel to the fire for AI naysayers on the stock market.

AI spending for Microsoft is expected to increase by around 30% this year, and between them and Amazon and Meta, the total of AI investment could hit $500 billion. Of course, that raises questions about their profits and how soon investors will see a return on their investment.

Microsoft stock took a sharp dive this month and was only able to reach back to its January 1^st price on Thursday. The stock has to prove itself with the earnings report now, as investor confidence has waned after the recent drop off. Even though the stock price recovered, there is a danger that it could sink again soon in this unstable, volatile market.

Bitcoin Nears Key Resistance Level; New BTC Price Prediction

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Now at $89,737 (BTC/USD), Bitcoin is closer to the $90K level than it has been in a few days and is sparking interest among investors with its potential to go bullish.

Bitcoin is climbing today after days of bearish movement.

It appears that Bitcoin (BTC) may be able to move past the $90K resistance level today, and it has gained 2% over the last 24 hours. This is a key moment to watch since the coin struggled with the same important psychological level late last year.

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Bitcoin is still below the moving averages of the last 200 days and 100 days, and selling pressure risk remains elevated. If the coin surpasses $90K, it has strong potential to sell quickly and fall again. Analysts will be watching that behavior closely as the coin works its way back up toward its January high.

Can Bitcoin Regain $100K?

If Bitcoin passes $90,000, the next key level will be $100K, and the last time the coin hit that point was back in November. At that time, the BTC rate was falling from an October high and did not stop dropping until it hit $84K. So, Bitcoin’s last upward movement past $100K was all the way back in May of 2025. From there, the coin stayed above that level for months.

If Bitcoin can do a repeat of that performance, then the market sentiment will shift in its favor, and the coin will be likely to reach a new high. Investor sentiment is improving for the cryptocurrency market, thanks in part to a newly drafted bill that would set up a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.

This year could be especially profitable for the market if that bill passes. It would mean a solid shift from the government in favor of cryptocurrency and would open the door for banks and private individuals to access cryptocurrency more easily and safely.

We estimate that Bitcoin will move past $90K today and then will run into some extreme selling pressure. That could hold it back through the rest of the week, but a breakthrough may occur over the weekend that will help push the coin closer to $100K. Many analysts agree that Bitcoin has stayed down for too long for it to continue to be bearish for a lengthy period of time. Instead, they expect that it will surge and create a higher support level that allows the coin to set a new record later this year.

Big Fed Decision Today to Move Stock Market from Record Highs

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Stocks ticked higher on Wednesday ahead of the Federal reserves monetary policy meeting scheduled for later in the day, with the Nasdaq gaining 0.9%.

The S&P 500 climbed to a new high this week as tech stocks performed well.

The Nasdaq is leading U.S. stock gains for Wednesday, but the S&P 500 added 0.3% in premarket trading, while the Dow Jones remained almost flat from the previous day. On Tuesday, the Dow fell slightly while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 gained thanks to tech companies’ earnings.

AI stocks rose this week thanks to strong recent earnings performances from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) as well as a new deal between Advanced Micro devices and OpenAI. These developments have helped to allay fears over the decline of the AI market and increase consumer confidence in the tech market’s future.

Fed Decision and Stock Performance

It is highly unlikely that the Federal Reserve will issue a rate cut in January, especially after December’s recent cut. The inflation level is still elevated- at 2.7% from the last reading and not at the Fed’s desired 2%. So, the Fed is likely to keep interest rates as they are to ensure that the economy is not adversely affected.

The S&P 500 reached a record high on Tuesday, thanks in part to excellent growth from technology stocks. Micron Technology (MU) has been one of the best performing stocks on that index, with William Blair labelling the stock a “Buy”. Their investment in AI memory supply is making the company an important part of the growing AI tech niche.

Both Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) are reporting earnings this week. They make up an important part of the Magnificent Seven stocks that indicate how the AI market is moving. Their heavy investments into artificial intelligence technology have brought the focus on investors and analysts on their earnings statements that are scheduled for this week.

Also reporting earnings this week is Apple (APPL), which has done extremely well in recent months thanks to high demand for their products. As market sentiment shifts in favor of AI stocks once more, Apple and other tech companies at the forefront of that market are seeing tremendous stock growth.

Natural Gas above $7, Hitting Four-Year High

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Timothy St. John

For the first time since 2022, U.S. natural gas futures rose above $7/MMBtu as an ice storm sweeps parts of the country and drives up demand for heating.

The price of natural gas is way up thanks to a cold front that is affecting much of the U.S.

Extreme cold weather pushed LNG prices up 40% in less than a day, creating historic highs in the market not seen in years. Now, gas supply is threatened by transport problems as heavy snow and ice storms block roads and limit supply lines.

Gas supply hit another snag this week as the ice storm blocked about 10% of normal production. That figure comes from DNB Carnegie and demonstrates the threat to the industry that this storm poses even with higher than normal prices.

Export Plans Dip as Demand Skyrockets

It has been years since the demand for natural gas to be exported from the United States has been so high, and yet export plants were not able to meet their delivery schedules as planned over the weekend. Major disruptions occurred throughout the United States, affecting gas supplies shipped to trade partners as export facilities faced extensive transportation delays.

Demand in Asia and Europe, regular trade partners for U.S. gas exports, was on the rise over the last week as temperatures dropped. More gas customers are having to stay indoors and stay home from work due to increasing snow and colder temperatures, but limited gas exports could lead to a supply problem.

Gas prices rose in Europe as well, with natural gas futures up to 43 euros per megawatt-hour- about 5.15% higher than previously. European gas suppliers are also dealing with a supply shortage issue, with reserves at about 46% under peak capacity. That brings the supply below the average over the last five years.

Supply levels for U.S. gas companies are still high, as they have been for the past 12 months, but those reserves are dwindling at an incredible rate right now. Still, they are about 5% higher than they were at the same time last year, and according to the EIA’s latest storage report, supplies are around 6% higher than the five-year average.