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.

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.

[[BTC/USD]]

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.

Bank of America Considering 10% Credit Card Rate as Stock Improves Slightly

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Last week, President Donald Trump proposed a credit card rate cap of 10%, and Bank of America is now taking his proposal seriously as they consider new credit cards with 10% interest rates.

Bank of America stock is down for the month but still slated for future growth.

Will Bank of America (BAC) issue new credit cards that fall in line with Trump’s proposed 10% interest rate cap? It appears so, as the financial institution is considering issuing new cards that have that very rate, according to Reuters.

Bank of America’s stock is up slightly for Monday, with a 0.49% increase. At $51.98 per share, the stock is below its 90-day average and below the early January peak of $57 per share. The stock is generally reliable and profitable, but it is going through a downturn now as the financial sector feels the pressure of Trump’s anticipated policies.

Will the Proposed Rate Hurt Credit Card Companies?

JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon called Trump’s plan for credit card caps “an economic disaster.” He says the plan would hurt retailers, restaurants, and a variety of other businesses and institutions. On January 20th, Trump posted to Truth Social that the credit card rates for the United States should be capped at 10% for a full year.

Banks are concerned, of course, and some of them are already starting to take action. This is why Bank of America has already started figuring out how this might work for them. By getting out in front of a possible Presidential order, they can be better prepared than their competitors and brace for the impact of market change.

There is no word yet if Trump has decided to move forward with the plan, and the order might not even be legal. This could be a case of Trump throwing out a wish and seeing what comes of it, but U.S. banks know from history that they need to consider even Trump’s social media posts as potential administrative practice.

BAC stock share prices have dropped by 2% since the company reported its earnings earlier this month. TD Cowen investment services says their stock is a “Buy” and set their price target to $64.

New BTC Price Prediction as Bitcoin Slump Continues

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) sentiment is in the “Extreme Fear” portion of the Fear & Greed Index as the coin is close to $88K and continues a downward trend that has caused more than 6% in losses over the last week.

Bitcoin is in a slump after a week of staying below $90K.

Now at $87,613 (BTC/USD), Bitcoin is near its January low point and has caused investor confidence to drop sharply in recent weeks. Tremendous ETF outflows and high selling pressure are keeping the BTC rate low and pushing the F&G Index into Extreme Fear.

[[BTC/USD]]

Because Bitcoin has stayed below $90K for the better part of a week, investors are rightly worried. This is the same resistance level that Bitcoin could not seem to beat through November and December of last year, and now the coin is back up against the same level.

Bitcoin in the Danger Zone

What does it mean for Bitcoin to be below $90K right now? This is a psychologically important level that investors are paying a lot of attention to. By this time in January, analysts expected the coin to be above $100K, but Bitcoin moved in the other direction as economic factors hit the market. Now, even though the economy is looking better than it has in recent weeks, the coin has moved below the key resistance level and will have a hard time clawing its way back up.

The longer Bitcoin stays around a price that is $90K or below, it will suffer increased investor disinterest and falling confidence. The coin is not likely to get a bump from the Federal Reserve this month, since their upcoming monetary policy meeting this week is expected to result in no new rate cut.

Crypto markets on the whole are in a slump, with Bitcoin losing 6.2% over the last seven days. Ethereum (ETH) has it even worse, with losses of around 10% for the week. BNB (BNB) is down 6% as well, and Monero (XMR) has lost a startling 26% over the last week. These are incredible losses for the market at a time when it should be surging.

President Donald Trump has stepped back from issuing new tariffs, and with that threat out of the way, the stock market is climbing, but the crypto market is not. A new bill has been drafted for the cryptocurrency market that should set up a more sensible and modernized regulatory framework, but even that news has not helped to pull the crypto market out of its late January slump.

As the fear and green Index continues to look sour for Bitcoin, we expect the coin to fall further. Some analysts are calling for a bottom at $80K, while others fear even further drops for the coin in the coming weeks. What is certain is that the longer BTC’s price stays under $90K, the more investors it will lose. No one wants to stick with a stagnant coin.

The newly drafted bill could help Bitcoin claim back some of its losses, though, and the rising strength of the stock market may improve investor confidence as well. We anticipate that Bitcoin will move on those strengths and jump back above $90K next week, thanks in part to its decent early January performance.

Nasdaq Dips 0.2% in Quiet Opening to Busy Earnings Week for Stock Market

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Timothy St. John

The stock market indices changed little as trading began for Monday in the last week of January, with the Nasdaq down just 0.2% and the S&P 500 dipped 0.1%.

The Federal Reserve has a policy meeting this Wednesday to determine interest rates.

This is a big week for the stock market, with major earnings reports to be released and a key meeting for Federal Reserve policy scheduled for later in the week. Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (APPL), and Metal Platforms (META) are all reporting on their quarterly earnings this week, and the market is relatively quiet in anticipation.

Stock futures showed little change as early trading started on Monday, but trading could heat up as we get closer to the date of the Fed meeting on Wednesday, and we expect quarterly reports to shift trading patterns dramatically, especially since several major hitters are stepping up.

An Optimistic Outlook for the Market

Most data indicates that this will be an excellent week for the stock market, with recent S&P 500 listed companies reporting that they beat Wall Street earnings expectations about 76% of the time during this season. Market indices are near all-time highs as well, despite several major tariff scares over the last 12 months.

The Federal Reserve is expected to retain its current rates, with market sentiment showing a low chance of a rate cut. The most recent cut was in December of last year, so it is unlikely that the Fed will be issuing another rate cut so soon, especially with inflation at 2.7% right now. The Federal Reserve has said they are aiming for a 2% rate.

The market is concerned about a possible government shutdown. Allotments for Homeland Security in the latest government funding package has raised the ire of several Democrat senators. They said they would not approve the funding measure after a U.S. citizen was shot to death by immigration agents in Minnesota in January.

Stocks are expected to increase this month during this key earnings week, with growth for the energy and tech stocks showing particular promise. Apple should do well as its latest iPhone has topped sales expectations, and demand is growing for the tech giant’s products. APPL stock rose 1.58% in premarket trading Monday and could climb even higher before the company releases its earnings statement. MSFT gained 0.2%, and META was up 0.78% in premarket trading as well.

Inflation Data Helps Dow Climb 300 Points

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Stocks rose on Thursday as new inflation data released in line with expectations, allowing the Dow to add 300 points and putting the index in the green for the week after a rough start.

Stocks are climbing this week after Trump reversed course on Greenland.

Investors felt more confident in the stock market this week after President Donald Trump backed away from some of his more aggressive Greenland plans, and the personal consumption expenditure price index for November revealed that inflation is at 2.8%.

This is what analysts expected for the index, and this is yet another piece of good news at a time when the market is in recovery. Stocks climbed higher Friday morning in premarket trading, and we could see the indices hit record highs by the end of the day.

Positive Factors abound in a Bull Market

The week started off with carryover bad news from Friday of the previous week, and Tuesday was a very poor day for major stocks. However, this situation reversed as Trump decided not to pursue tariffs on European countries and announced no invasion of Greenland. The market was further helped this week by a decent inflation reading. The core and headline PCE data was exactly what was expected by Wall Street, and the markets received a bump as a result.

Stocks have climbed for two consecutive sessions, with the S&P 500 up 0.55% and close to its record high. The Nasdaq gained 0.91% in the last session and is also around a record high, but both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 are still below where they started the week. The losses on Tuesday were simply too severe for these indices to be very likely to end the week in the green.

Retail stocks have performed well this week, with Walmart (WMT) spiking on Tuesday when much for the market was extremely low. This indicates the retailer’s ability to draw investor interest during times of stock market volatility, thanks to its reliability and stability.

Target (TGT) rose 0.43% on Thursday but has fallen over the course of the week as investors jumped on technology stocks Wednesday and Thursday. Not all major retailers are handling this volatile week well, but this has been an excellent week for AI-related stocks. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) rose 1.3% in premarket trading Friday and recovered well from Tuesday’s sharp drop that affected most of the market. Micron Technology (MU) has had an incredible week with impressive gains that moved the stock price from $336 per share to $392.

Natural Gas Market Keeps Up Momentum with 75% Gains in Three Days

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Timothy St. John

A winter-driven gas market squeeze is pushing prices higher as demand skyrockets for LNG, and U.S. gas futures have moved more than 75% since Monday.

The price of natural gas is much higher this week thanks to cold weather forecasts.

The cold weather is moving quickly across the United States, with warnings of ice storms and heavy snow causing Americans to stay indoors and turn up their heaters in defense. Natural gas prices rose to $5.53/MMBtu and are now close to very high levels last seen back in December of 2022.

Traders are bearish now as the market experiences a tremendous demand spike that could last for a while. The current cold front is expected to fade out by Monday, but similar fronts are spreading across Europe and Asia as well. Gas companies will have to dig deep into their reserves, and the market may end up with normal levels soon.

Demand Is Catching up with Supply

The largest winter storm of the season so far is making its way through the United States, forecasted to hit the South and move up toward the lowest parts of New England before it is over. The demand for LNG is expected to rise dramatically as pipes freeze, snow drifts keep people indoors, and deliveries are disrupted by inclement weather.

The gas market sentiment is changing fast- where it was bearish just last week, it is now bullish and only going to move higher. Even when the winter storm is done, more extremely cold weather is expected before January is finished. Gas companies will be using up reserves that have been piling incredibly high for months. Those reserves have been a constant problem with the market that have kept prices low as demand remained minimal throughout the warm summer months of 2025.

The market is rallying now, and it is more than just the gas market looking bullish. Gold and stocks are both up, although cryptocurrency is going through a rough patch. Investors are breathing a sigh of relief as President Trump pulls back on plans to levy tariffs against European trade partners, and the timing is right for a natural gas market rally.

Cold weather is expected all the way through January 31st, and weather models are calling for colder weather than they were last week. The American South and Central United States are both in for extremely chilly weather over the coming weeks, and analysts are saying the market’s movement is volatility on a level not seen in years.

The last time the market moved in this manner was back in 2022, and then before that, it would have been 2018. While gas prices rising like this are not great for the average citizen, investors and gas companies are set to make incredible profits in the coming weeks.

Why Micron Technology Stock Is a “Buy” According to William Blair

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Timothy St. John

After jumping 8.3% this week, Micron Technology (MU) is a hot tech stock, and the William Blair investment banking group has given it a “buy” rating.

There is incredible demand fro MU products.

Analyst Sebastian Naji from William Blair says that investors should be buying Micron Technology stock right now. He set the price target to $540, and the stock is currently trading at $490 per share.

The stock rose another 0.65% on Thursday as the market made wide gains from news that President Donald Trump would not be instituting new tariffs on European trade partners in February. The Dow climbed 0.8%, and the Nasdaq gained 0.98% after even more significant gains the previous day.

MU Is a Stock with Tremendous Growth Potential

Many investors know the major AI-related stocks like Nvidia (NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD, and Taiwan Semiconductors (TSM), but Micron Technology could be undervalued according to some analysts. The stock has gained 250% in the past 12 months and yet still has room to grow.

The company is heavily invested in AI memory supply, which is a hot niche at the moment that has considerable growth potential. The MU stock price is seen as far below its true market value since the company has a growing global business that makes NAND flash memory chips and dynamic random access memory. These are used for processing and data storage for artificial intelligence services.

Micron Technology’s products are so in demand that the company cannot keep up with all the orders they are receiving. One estimate says that they have capacity for about 55% of their customers’ medium-term demand, and they need to build larger facilities to accommodate the workload. Even if the company does set up a new clean room space in line with its 2027 plans, the demand might have increased so much by then that they will need to expand further.

Demand for memory is skyrocketing, and Micron Technology has an excellent position with the market that makes them one of the best companies to meet that demand. DRAM shortages already plague the industry and are expected to continue to do so, putting Micron’s services in high demand at a time of significant growth for the AI industry.

Micron started building new facilities in several areas, including a megafab location in New York. This should help them meet rising demand and continue to take a large portion of the market share. Despite incredible growth in recent months, the stock could still climb much higher, and it is obvious why it has been labeled as a stock to buy at this moment. Earnings forecasts for the company estimate that they will grow about 70% over the next five years.

Bitcoin Settles under $90K in Renewed Whale Selloffs

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Tariff fears have dissipated as Trump calls off his plans to tax Europe over Greenland, but Bitcoin (BTC) has yet to recover from its recent drop and is still below $90K.

Bitcoin holders are selling in a panic as the coin falls below $90K.

The psychologically important $90K level is the next fight for Bitcoin as it sits at $89,597 (BTC/USD). The coin has settled down after a steep decline, but it is in a dangerous place that has prompted whales and recent investors to start selling off their bitcoins.

[[BTC/USD]]

We may be seeing the beginnings of a selloff that could cripple Bitcoin at a time when the coin was just starting to gain back lost ground. There may be some bright light on the horizon in the form of new crypto regulation, though.

Whale Movement Increases

Large Bitcoin wallets, known as whales, deposited around $400 million in BTC on Tuesday. This data comes from the Whale Screener operated by CryptoQuant, and it is an indication of a selloff. When large coin holders make these kinds of moves, they are usually preparing for liquidation of their assets, anticipating a need to offload coins that may not be performing well.

If the whales are not supporting Bitcoin at this crucial time, then that could have a serious ripple effect through the rest of the market, leading to smaller investors dumping their coins and giving up on crypto for the short term.

A new draft of a long-gestating cryptocurrency bill was released on Wednesday, and analysts expect the bill to spur market growth. If it goes through, the legislation will divide oversight duties for cryptocurrency among several different government bodies.

Selling pressure is increasing for Bitcoin at the moment, though, with trade volumes of around $47 billion over the last 24-hour period. Over the last week, Bitcoin’s price has decreased about 7%, one of its sharpest declines in weeks. We estimate that investor sentiment has soured on the coin now that it is back down near the $90K mark, since Bitcoin spent weeks trying to break free from that resistance level.

There is concern that Bitcoin will move back toward the November low of $80,000, and if so, then it will have a hard time getting back to its recent high of $97.4K. The coin is receiving broad support from government sectors with this new legislation, but until the bill is passed, that support will not be the strong driving force that it could be. Economic pressure has let up this week as Trump backs away from new tariff plans. That should help Bitcoin with its push back toward recent highs as well.