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Meta shares recently climbed back into positive territory for the year.
Credit: Kevin Carter / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• Meta Platforms’ annual Connect conference takes place this week, with traders anticipating the stock could potentially hit a 12-month high following the event.
• Analysts have said they expect updates to Meta’s AI trajectory at the event, following some signs of early success with its Muse personal agent.

Meta Platforms is set to hold its annual Connect conference this week, with traders anticipating a sizable move from the social media giant’s stock.

Based on current options pricing, Meta (META) shares are seen swinging up to 4.5% in either direction by the end of the week. From Monday’s close, a move of that size could push the shares above $774, their highest level since last September. The low end of that range would be $708, giving back some of the stock’s recent gains.

Meta shares are up about 12% since the start of the year, largely thanks to gains Monday amid a strong day for tech stocks. Enthusiasm around its latest AI models and products, including the Muse personal agent it unveiled last week, have helped bring the stock back into positive territory for the year in recent weeks and fueled hopes for AI-related updates from this week’s event.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to give a keynote address at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday (which can be streamed here), with sessions focused towards software developers following on Thursday.

Why This Matters to Investors

New announcements around Meta’s AI efforts could help boost enthusiasm for the Facebook and Instagram parent’s stock.

Citi analysts recently wrote that they see the Connect event serving as a likely catalyst for stock gains, as they expect Meta to announce significant updates to its AI product roadmap. With a “buy” rating and $800 price target, the analysts said Meta remains one of their top picks in the internet sector.

Earlier this month, JPMorgan analysts upgraded Meta to “overweight” from neutral, and hiked their price target to $820 from $640. The analysts said they see “meaningful upside potential” for Meta from AI-driven offerings, and told clients they believe Meta’s sizable user base across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp makes it well-positioned to make winning AI products.

Analysts are overwhelmingly bullish on Meta stock ahead of the Connect event, with all but one of the 19 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha calling the stock a “buy,” while one holds a neutral rating. Their average price target around $782 would suggest around 5% upside from Monday’s close.

Several states filed an antitrust suit to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger earlier this year.
Credit: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• Warner Bros. Discovery shares surged Monday after Paramount reached a settlement with states that sued to block the media giants’ merger.
• The settlement requires the combined company to produce a set number of movies annually and invest additional funds in domestic filmmaking.
• Paramount will also establish a board to ensure editorial independence for CNN and CBS.

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery rallied after Paramount Skydance reached a settlement paving the way for the media giants’ mega-merger.

Warner Bros. (WBD) shares jumped more than 10% Monday after Paramount agreed to a settlement with California and other states that sued to block the companies’ merger. Shares of Paramount (PSKY) slipped 3%.

Under the settlement, the combined company must spend at least $1.5 billion over the next five years on boosting production of films in the U.S. It will make 30 movies annually in the first two years of the deal, and 32 movies in each of the following three years, according to a statement by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Paramount is also set to establish a board to ensure the editorial independence of CNN and CBS, among other provisions, ending speculation about the possible terms of a settlement.

With Monday’s gains, Warner Bros. shares are up about 7% for the year. Paramount shares have lost roughly one-quarter of their value in 2026.

AMD topped the $1 trillion market cap threshold today.
Credit: Kabir Jhangiani / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• AMD’s market capitalization surpassed $1 trillion for the first time on Monday.
• The Nasdaq Composite outperformed the other major indexes, driven by strong tech stock gains.

Advanced Micro Devices joined the $1 trillion market-cap club Monday as its stock soared. 

Shares of AMD (AMD) finished up about 10% to over $615. That, based on the more than 1.6 billion shares outstanding reported in its most recent quarterly regulatory filing, from August, had the company’s market capitalization above $1 trillion for the first time. The list is still topped by Nvidia (NVDA) at more than $5 trillion. 

The move came on a good day for tech shares to start the week. The Nasdaq Composite ended the day up more than 2%, easily outperforming the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials, which also rose. Read Investopedia’s full coverage of today’s trading here.

Several other tech stocks posted big moves into the green Monday. Intel (INTC) rose about 12%, while Meta Platforms (META) added about 11% and Marvell Technology (MRVL) was up more than 5%. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) was up more than 3%, while its Magnificent 7 ETF (MAGS) rose by over 2%. 

Chipmaker AMD has been a big beneficiary of the AI buildout. In early August the company said its latest quarterly results beat Street estimates. The shares are up almost 290% this year. 

Even with Monday’s gains, Accenture shares are still down about 30% since the start of the year.
Credit: Minh Connors / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• Accenture shares rose Monday after the company announced an AI safety partnership with Anthropic.
• Under the deal, Accenture will have a team embedded in Anthropic test and evaluate AI model safeguards.

Accenture shares are on the rise after the consulting and IT services firm agreed to play a key role in AI safety for a leading model developer.

Shares of Accenture (ACN) were up about 3% in recent trading, after the company announced an AI safety partnership with Claude maker Anthropic on Friday. Under the agreement, the firms are set to each invest at least $1 billion on AI safety efforts over the next five years. 

The companies said Accenture will “establish a team of embedded evaluators to work alongside Anthropic’s internal teams and safety partners to evaluate and red-team models, conduct alignment assessments, and test model safeguards.”

The partnership will involve Accenture’s Faculty, a U.K.-based AI safety firm that it bought earlier this year. Investors could hear more about the Anthropic partnership when Accenture reports fiscal fourth-quarter results on Oct. 1.

AI safety has become a growing concern in the industry in recent weeks following a string of high-profile AI hacking incidents. Earlier this month, several leaders in the sector, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, called for a voluntary slowdown in AI development and new guardrails. The move weighed on many AI hardware stocks amid worries over how slowing development could impact sales.

Even with Monday’s gains, Accenture shares have lost nearly a third of their value this year amid uncertainty around AI-driven disruption. 

Bitcoin recently traded above $85,000.
Credit: Cheng Xin / Getty Images

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Bitcoin surged to its highest price since January, nearing a reversal of year-to-date losses.
• Some regulatory developments are providing a boost to the crypto market in the wake of a disappointing Senate vote last week.

Crypto markets are shrugging off bearish vibes.

The price of bitcoin rose Monday to levels unseen since January, leaving the world’s largest and best-known cryptocurrency within view of reversing year-to-date losses that were recently under 3%. 

The recent surge followed a regulatory consolation prize. While a key crypto bill called the Clarity Act failed Wednesday to advance after a disappointing procedural vote, both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission stepped in with agency-level exemptions, and rules proposals not yet made public, that could fill the gap for an industry seeking wins in Washington. 

Bitcoin traded near $86,000 this morning. The largest public digital asset treasury Strategy (MSTR) gained about 8% in recent trading. Crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) was up about 5%.

The “bounce may have legs,” SentimenTrader’s Jay Kaeppel said, citing his firm’s long-term sentiment and momentum indicators, which have turned positive.

Bitcoin is rallying even after the Federal Reserve’s hiking of its benchmark interest rate last week. Though higher rates tend to weigh on risk assets, making the bond yields seem more attractive by comparison, the cryptocurrency has outperformed over the last five trading sessions. It has risen more than 8% compared to the S&P 500’s 1% gain.

Meanwhile, Strategy’s latest regulatory filing shows that it bought 950 bitcoin last week for about $76 million, marking its second consecutive purchase since it started selling coins in the spring. The company’s stockpile stands at 846,000 bitcoin, near its peak of 847,363, Strategy’s ledger shows.

News of the day for Sept. 21, 2026

The Dow Jones Industrial Average enters Monday on a three-week losing streak.
Credit: Michael Nagle / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Stock futures are rising as oil prices and government bond yields retreat; the AI trade is starting off the week hot, with a number of chipmakers gaining; crypto stocks are also rallying as bitcoin climbs to its highest point since January; Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are reportedly nearing a settlement to the suit several states filed to block their merger; and earnings from Costco and a Meta event are on tap this week. Here’s what you need to know today.

Stock Futures Rise as Oil, Bond Yields Pull Back

Stock futures are surging this morning after a volatile performance last week. Nasdaq futures were up 1.1% recently, while futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 added 0.9% and 0.7%, respectively. The tech-heavy Nasdaq managed to post a modest gain last week, while the S&P 500 lost ground for the second straight week and the Dow extended its losing streak to three weeks. WTI crude oil futures were down nearly 3% at under $98 per barrel, after hitting a high last week near $107. The 10-year Treasury yield, which influences a range of consumer interest rates including mortgages, was at 4.95%, down from Friday’s close near 5%. Bitcoin was at $85,000, up from a low last week of around $75,000 and trading at its highest level since January. Gold futures were down 0.5% at $4,400 an ounce.

AI Stocks Extend Rally

Nasdaq futures are setting the pace for the major indexes this morning, as the AI trade looks set to start the week off on a strong note. Shares of Nvidia (NVDA), Intel (INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Micron (MU), Sandisk (SNDK) and several others are rising after gaining to close out last week. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) and the iShares Philadelphia Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) were each up roughly 3% in recent premarket trading. Worries about a potential slowdown in AI development appear to have eased, after the AI trade was rocked early last week by comments from CEOs calling for a slowdown owing to safety concerns.

Crypto Stocks Surge as Bitcoin Hits Highest Point Since January

The price of bitcoin is sharply higher to start the week, and cryptocurrency-related stocks are along for the ride. Bitcoin was at $85,000 recently, trading at its highest levels since January, as the cryptocurrency extends a rally that started late last week. Strategy (MSTR), the largest single corporate holder of bitcoin, was up 6% before the bell after soaring 16% on Friday. Shares of Robinhood (HOOD), Coinbase (COIN), Circle (CRCL) and Mara Holdings (MARA) were each up about 5% recently. The sector rallied Friday after the SEC announced new rule changes for crypto, suggesting that the industry could get regulatory clarity even as crypto legislation stalls in Congress.

Paramount, State AGs Reportedly in Talks to Settle Antitrust Suit

Shares of Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are climbing this morning after The Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported over the weekend that the companies have been in talks with the attorneys general from several states that sued to block the merger about potential concessions they could make in order to settle the suit. The Journal reported that could come in the form of a $1.5 billion investment into California, along with guarantees to keep ownership of its studio lots in Hollywood and continue producing a set number of movies annually. The reports also said the sides are discussing ways to maintain the editorial independence of CNN after Paramount has been criticized for imposing changes across CBS News since its merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. Shares of both companies were up 7% recently.

Coming This Week: Costco Earnings, Meta Event, Trump-Xi Summit

This will be busy week of earnings reports, headlined by warehouse retail giant Costco Wholesale (COST), which is set to post results after the closing bell on Thursday. Reports are also due from Autozone (AZO) on Tuesday, General Mills (GIS) and Cracker Barrel (CBRL) on Wednesday, and Darden Restaurants (DRI) on Thursday. Meta Platforms (META) is set to hold its annual Connect event where analysts expect updates to the Facebook parent’s AI strategy. President Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying yesterday that his talks with vice premier He Lifeng on AI and trade went well ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

Costco is slated to hand in quarterly results this week.
Credit: Zak Bennett / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Fed ended months of speculation when it raised interest rates last week. With that round of uncertainty resolved, Wall Street may shift its focus back to more everyday matters, such as fuel and food sales—at least, partly.

Costco Wholesale could provide clues on how consumers are faring when it hands in its quarterly results. Drivers turned to the warehouse club as gas prices shot up, buying a record amount of its discounted fuel last quarter. Oil and gas prices are climbing again, though a surge in gas sales doesn’t always translate into more in-club spending, Costco has said.

Major food and dining companies are also slated to report, including General Mills, Cracker Barrel, and Darden Restaurants, which operates Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. General Mills, known for Cheerios and Cocoa Puffs, warned of “significant consumer stress” earlier this year and cut its outlook. Still, some restaurant chains have had recent success with value-focused options.

Updates from other sectors are also on the docket. Meta Platforms may provide fresh insight on its AI strategy at a developer conference, while AutoZone’s results may shed light on how the trade war with Canada is impacting the vehicle and car part industry.

And don’t worry: There will be plenty for Fed watchers to feast on, too. Several events may appeal to those still thinking about the Fed’s first rate hike in three years: Five monetary policymakers are slated to speak at conferences over the course of the week.

Market Recap

Two of the three major stock indexes logged losses last week, with the Dow industrials posting a 1.7% five-day decline at 1.7% and the S&P 500 edging lower. Jitters spread through the tech trade after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for the AI industry to slow development and address safety issues, though the Nasdaq ended the week modestly higher. Continued fighting in the Middle East also weighed on stocks. For more, read Friday’s market recap here.

This Week’s Top Events

Here’s a look at major events in the week ahead. TradingView publishes a more detailed calendar, but clicking the link will take you off the Investopedia site.

• Monday, Sep. 21: Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will speak at a forum in London, beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET. The Chicago Fed will livestream his remarks. Other Fed officials are slated to speak at conferences this week, including New York Fed President John Williams, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Philadelphia Fed Chair Anna Paulson and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack.
• Tuesday, Sep. 22: AutoZone (AZO) is set to share its fiscal fourth-quarter results before the opening bell, followed by a conference call at 10 a.m. ET. Ottawa last month announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., and the White House responded by threatening to increase the tariff rate to 50% on vehicles and car parts from Canada.
• Wednesday, Sep. 23: General Mills (GIS) is slated to release its fiscal first-quarter results and hold a question-and-answer session at 9 a.m. ET.
• Wednesday: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) is scheduled to publish its fiscal fourth-quarter results before the opening bell and host a conference call at 8:15 a.m. ET. The chain surprised analysts by posting a profit last quarter and raising its forecast.
• Wednesday: Meta Platforms (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is slated to speak at the social media company’s conference at 7 p.m. ET. His remarks, which may include updates on Meta’s AI strategy, will be streamed. The company may also introduce smart glasses that don’t include a camera, according to reports. Meta has faced backlash after people used its AI glasses to covertly record others.
• Thursday, Sep. 24: BlackBerry (BB) is set to share its fiscal second-quarter results and host a conference call at 8 a.m. ET.
• Thursday: Darden Restaurants (DRI) is scheduled to publish its fiscal first-quarter results before the opening bell and host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET.
• Thursday: Costco Wholesale (COST) is slated to release its fiscal fourth-quarter results at 4:15 p.m. ET, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. ET. This summer, the warehouse club reported a deceleration in sales growth for the first time in months.

More Investopedia Reads

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Netflix shares have lost nearly 25% of their value this year.
Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• Wells Fargo downgraded Netflix stock to “underweight” in a note Friday, citing concerns about user engagement.
• Shares of Netflix lost ground, extending their recent slide amid worries about slowing revenue growth.

Netflix shares have taken a hit lately. One group of experts sees the streaming giant’s stock falling even further.

Shares of Netflix (NFLX) dropped nearly 5% to close just below $72 Friday, extending their recent slide after analysts at Wells Fargo downgraded the stock. It was one of the leading decliners in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.  

Wells Fargo cut its rating of Netflix to “underweight,” from neutral, and slashed its price target to $57 from $80, a new Street low well beneath the $97 consensus. Among the 14 other analysts tracked by Visible Alpha, 12 consider the stock a “buy,” with two neutral ratings. 

Netflix’s recent engagement trends are “worrying,” Wells Fargo told clients in a Friday note, citing an 8% drop in viewership time per subscriber per day in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2023. Netflix “has lacked big original series & it’s showing,” the analysts wrote.

Wells Fargo said Netflix may need to undergo a “content spend reboot,” warning that the company’s efforts to expand into different kinds of entertainment such as games could come at the risk of “missing the watercooler originals.” 

Concerns around slowing revenue growth have weighed on Netflix’s stock in recent months. With Friday’s slump, Netflix shares have lost nearly 25% of their value since the start of the year.

Warren Buffett handed over the CEO reins to Greg Abel at the start of the year.
Credit: Investopedia / Photo Illustration by Alice Morgan / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

• Warren Buffett is stepping down from his role as Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman and will become chairman emeritus.
• Buffett’s son Howard will replace his father as chairman, the company announced Friday.

Warren Buffett is transitioning to another role at Berkshire Hathaway, the investment giant announced this morning.

Buffett, who turned 96 last month, will become chairman emeritus and remain a member of the board. Buffett’s son Howard, who has been on Berkshire’s (BRK.A, BRK.B) board since 1993, has been elected to replace his father as chairman.

“Serving as your Chairman has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I have never taken your trust for granted,” Buffett wrote in a letter to shareholders. “Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead.”

“The culture Warren built and the values he championed will remain at the heart of Berkshire, and Howard will be their guardian,” Berkshire CEO Greg Abel said in a release. Abel took over the top job from Buffett at the start of the year, ending Buffett’s 60-year tenure leading the conglomerate.

Under Buffett’s leadership, Berkshire shares posted average annual returns of nearly 20%, roughly doubling the gains of the S&P 500 over that period. The shares, which were little changed in recent trading, have added just 1% this year so far.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, with ball, is leaving Nike for Swiss sportswear brand On.
Credit: Francisco Macia / Getty Images

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• On Holding announced a partnership with soccer star Kylian Mbappé, marking its entry into the soccer market.
• On Holding shares remain down over 40% this year despite the news.

On Holding stock has struggled mightily this year. The company scored a win Friday—though it’s yet to revive the shares.

The Swiss sneaker company, known mostly for its running shoes, announced it was entering the football, or soccer, market with one of the sport’s biggest stars, Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappé—a longtime Nike (NKE) athlete—as its spokesman.

The company said Mbappé “will work directly with On’s product teams, integrating his elite perspective into the development and testing of future football footwear and apparel.” The Swiss firm also said he will become a “global ambassador” for the company.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but The Athletic reported that Mbappé was given equity in On. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, also a former Nike spokesman, was similarly granted equity in the company in 2019.

On (ONON) also named retired Arsenal and Barcelona star Thierry Henry, like Mbappé a World Cup winner with France, as its Director of Football. The company said Henry “has been working behind the scenes with the brand on every aspect of its entry and product approach since late 2025.” Sydney Schertenleib, who plays for Barcelona and Switzerland, “will help shape products designed for the future of the women’s game,” On said.

On Holding shares were down slightly in morning trading after rising premarket on the news. They entered the day down more than 40% this year.