HAPPY TUESDAY TO THE STREET
Half the company is gone. But one Slack community has never been more active.
Block’s sweeping layoffs pushed thousands into “Square Mafia,” an alumni Slack channel swapping referrals, immigration tips, and rage emojis. Says something about the state of the workplace in 2026, doesn’t it? Empty offices, thriving internet communities. As for what it says for the company itself… well, read on!
🟥 | US stocks slid today as geopolitical uncertainty weighed heavily on traders’ minds.
📉 | One Notable Decliner: MongoDB (MDB) became the latest software casualty, plunging more than 20% after missing on guidance.
— Brooks & Cas
MARKET SNAPSHOT
All Stock Heatmap. Credit: Finviz
PREDICTION MARKET SNAPSHOT
Everything’s bigger in Texas… including the primaries. Polls close tonight in the state’s high-stakes Senate showdowns, along with an open attorney general race and bruising House contests fueled by millions in outside spending. Here’s how the odds are currently stacking up.
Market Movers
BEST BUY, CIGNA, TARGET
Best Buy (BBY) posted a Q4 earnings beat despite revenue coming in slightly below expectations.
Cigna (CI) announced CEO David Cordani will retire, with President and COO Brian Evanko set to succeed him.
Target (TGT) delivered a Q4 earnings beat, though revenue narrowly missed consensus.
Surgery Partners (SGRY) issued 2026 revenue guidance below Wall Street estimates and reported a Q4 earnings miss.
Tomorrow's Trade Idea, Today
EASY AS XYZ
Stock Spotlight
Leaner & Meaner
The Rating: HSBC upgraded Block after it cut more than 4,000 jobs, calling the move a proactive step during accelerating business momentum.
The Thesis: The analyst raised earnings estimates and expects profitability improvements to ramp in the second half of 2026.
The Next Steps: HSBC sees consensus 2027 earnings as too low based on improving exit rates. With margins expanding and the stock previously de-rated, the firm sees attractive risk-reward.
OVERHEARD ON THE STREET
⚖️ Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) called DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership a disaster during a Senate hearing, citing wrongful detentions and fatal ICE actions.
⚖️ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Kristi Noem: 21%
Howard Lutnick: 16%
Pam Bondi: 15%
🛢️ US gas prices jumped overnight amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions, a rising death count among US troops, and shifting justifications from the White House.
💻 Apple (AAPL) raised MacBook prices by up to $400 with new M5 models as it pushes an AI-first strategy amid 7% sales decline to $8.39B.
MONDAY’S POLL RESULTS
Are you bullish or bearish on MiniMax (MNMXF) over the next 12 months?
▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish
▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish
