Happy Friday afternoon to everyone on The Street. Here's a snapshot of where markets ended the trading session, plus tomorrow's trade idea delivered to you today.

• 🟩 | US stocks rose today, despite substantial volatility intraday, as investors shrugged off geopolitical concerns and tariff threats in favor of buying the dip.

• 📈 | One Notable Gainer: Voice recognition up-and-comer SoundHound AI (SOUN) saw its shares skyrocket nearly 18% after posting record Q4 revenue and calling the NVIDIA (NVDA) sell-off an overreaction.

• 📉 | One Notable Decliner: The rising tide didn’t lift all tech stocks though. Data storage firm NetApp’s (NTAP) slumped more than 15% after it missed sales estimates.

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MARKET MOVERS

Dell, NVIDIA, HP

DELL (-4.7%) Dell dips after mixed Q4, but analysts remain positive (SeekingAlpha)

NVDA (+4%) Nvidia Stock Rises. It’s Cheaper Than Walmart. (Barron’s)

HPQ (-6.8%) HP Stock Drops After PC Maker Gives Weak Outlook, Steps Up Layoffs (WSJ)

AES (+11.7%) AES Corp forecasts higher-than-expected annual profit on new renewable energy projects (Reuters)

DUOL (-17%) Duolingo CEO defends AI strategy as shares fall post-earnings (YF)

OVERHEARD ON THE STREET

BBC: A heated White House meeting between US President Trump, VP Vance, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy ended early in a shouting match.

CNN: PCE data showed inflation eased in January, but a new concern arose as consumers reduced spending by the most in nearly four years.

CNBC: Elon Musk’s DOGE plans to fire nearly all 1,700 CFPB employees and wind down the federal financial watchdog.

WSJ: A DOGE memo also calls for a review of $65B in contracts for companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, which gets 98% of its money from the US government.

Barron’s: Bitcoin briefly dropped below $80,000 as the crypto selloff intensified, with investors moving away from riskier assets.

TOMORROW’S TRADE IDEA, TODAY

More Than Just the Clothes Are on Sale at TJ Maxx

Bargain Store, Bargain Stock

TJ Maxx (TJX) has seen its stock value double in the last five years. But some believe the bargain retailer’s stock is still, well, a bargain.

Inflation-weary shoppers have flocked to off-price retailers like TJ Maxx in recent years. And with inflation ticking back up while consumer spending slows, that trend could continue.

Tariff Tailwinds

TJ Maxx’s business is centered around purchasing excess inventory from other retailers and selling it at a discount. As tariff threats loom, many retailers are loading up on inventory. But that could mean a big surplus, which may benefit TJ Maxx down the line.

At the same time, consumers are likely to be worried about prices due to tariffs, which should result in increased shopping at discount stores. According to Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe, inventories are rising for the first time in two years and are likely to outpace sales. 

But TJ Maxx doesn’t have to wait around for the worst-case scenario either. It has a unique ability to both act as a bargain store, and cater to high-income customers with top-quality brands, setting itself apart from the competition.

Increasing Shareholder Value

Joseph Ghio of Williams Jones Wealth Management believes the stock’s valuation at roughly 27x forward earnings is still a great value. Its multiple is in-line with — if not at a discount to — other major retailers, including Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST). 

The company has also been increasing shareholder value through increased dividends and stock buybacks. It has lifted its dividend by more than 10% each year over the past three years.

Customers have long flocked to TJ Maxx for premium goods at value prices. Investors may soon flock to its stock for the same reason.

Sponsored by Money Pickle

Is Your Portfolio Future-Proof?

You’re getting the best trade ideas — but what’s your plan after you cash in?

Without a smart wealth strategy, gains can disappear faster than they grow. That’s why we’ve made it simple to connect with a trusted, vetted advisor who can help you:

✅ Protect your profits from taxes and market swings
✅ Build long-term wealth without the guesswork
✅ Hit your financial goals faster with a tailored plan

It only takes 30 seconds to get matched—and your first call is completely free, with zero obligation.

Make sure your wins today fuel your future success.

ON OUR RADAR

CNBC: Trump will sign an executive order making English the official language of the US.

Reuters: Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal announced the company will cut 500 jobs as it aligns its business with Wonder following last month's takeover.

CNN: Citigroup mistakenly credited a customer account with $81T instead of $280 and took hours to reverse the transaction, highlighting ongoing operational issues.

Bloomberg: Intel postponed the opening of its Ohio chip factories until the 2030s, delaying efforts to rebuild domestic chip production.

AP: Egg producers attribute soaring prices to the bird flu outbreak, but critics argue that large companies are exploiting market dominance to profit.

THURSDAY’S POLL RESULTS

Are you bullish or bearish on Lumen Technologies (LUMN) over the next 12 months?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🐂 Bullish

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🐻 Bearish