Major Averages Close Broadly Higher After December Nonfarm Payrolls Report

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

META+0.09%

VST+3.43%

OKLO+3.6%

Updated: Jan 09 2026

0mins

The major averages closed broadly higher after the December nonfarm payrolls report. Stocks have shown resilience early in 2026 after a strong finish to 2025, but the run of gains had met headwinds earlier this week as investors considered cooling tech momentum and the labor data that could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve's policy path.Employers added 50,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, but total job gains last year were the weakest since 2020.Looking to commodities, gold prices were surging past $4,500, with the "safe haven" asset getting closer to its record high. Oil prices also jumped, with the commodity up over 2% as traders listen for more news coming out of Venezuela.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Metaannouncedwith Okloand VistraIntelshares were on the rise after President Trump touted aJohnson & Johnsonreached an agreement with the Trump administration to "improve access to medicines and lower costs" of drugs for American patients, and announcedSoftBankand OpenAI areDecember U.S. nonfarm, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.4%2. WALL STREET CALLS:Wells FargoAirbnbto Equal Weight, citing two years of share underperformanceAdobeto Market Perform at BMO, sees lack of positive catalystsBairdGE Vernovato Neutral from OutperformMizuho alsoZillow Groupto Neutral from OutperformQualcommto Neutral at Mizuho, which sees headwinds to Qualcomm's handset shipments and iPhone content in 20263. AROUND THE WEB:Amazonis planning a big-box retail store in the Chicago suburbs, The Information reportsViswas Raghavan, head of banking at Citigroup, told Nikkei in an interview that the big bank has "significant investment plans for Japan," with particular interest in midsize companies amid an increase in M&ANvidiahas hired Alison Wagonfeld, a Googlemarketing executive, as Chief Marketing Officer, CMO, at the company, WSJ reportsRokuCEO and chairman Anthony Wood believes the first 100% AI-generated "hit movie" will debut within the next three years, Variety reportsNomura Securities reports that Sandiskis on track to double the price of its high-capacity 3D NAND memory devices for enterprise-grade solid-state drives this quarter, Toms Hardware reports4. MOVERS:CG Oncologyincreases after announcing it expects PIVOT-006 Phase 3Allogene Therapeuticsgains after Citizensthe stock to OutperformuniQurehigher in New York after announcing ascheduled with FDAAquestivelower after announcing thein its NDA for AnaphylmBeta Bionicsfalls after BofAthe stock to Neutral5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCELi Auto, with revenue lower year-over-yearCarter'sprovidedand FY25Evolusprovidedand narrowed its outlook for FY25AXT Inc.cut itsChipMOS, with EPS higher year-over-yearINDEXES:The Dow rose 237.96, or 0.48%, to 49,504.07, the Nasdaq gained 222.86, or 0.95%, to 23,702.88, and the S&P 500 advanced 44.82, or 0.65%, to 6,966.28.

Analyst Views on META

Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

44 Analyst Rating

37 Buy

6 Hold

1 Sell

Strong Buy

Current: 672.360

Low

655.15

Averages

824.71

High

1117

Current: 672.360

Low

655.15

Averages

824.71

High

1117

KeyBanc

Overweight

downgrade

$875 -> $835

2026-01-26

New

Reason

KeyBanc

Price Target

$875 -> $835

AI Analysis

2026-01-26

New

downgrade

Overweight

Reason

KeyBanc lowered the firm's price target on Meta Platforms (META) to $835 from $875 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm believes Meta should benefit from AI product cycles in 2026. However, KeyBanc thinks investment and ROI concerns are priced into Meta, as evidenced by the company's widest price to earnings discount to Alphabet (GOOGL) since 2022.

Roth Capital

Buy

downgrade

$845 -> $800

2026-01-26

New

Reason

Roth Capital

Price Target

$845 -> $800

2026-01-26

New

downgrade

Buy

Reason

Roth Capital lowered the firm's price target on Meta Platforms to $800 from $845 but keeps a Buy rating on the shares ahead of its Q4 earnings. Meta's industry-leading revenue growth, scale advantages, and engagement intensity justify a premium long-term valuation multiple, but the company is currently in the midst of a generational investment cycle centered on AI infrastructure, custom silicon, data centers, and AI-driven operational costs, the analyst tells investors in a research note. First-half catalysts include Frontier AI models from newly formed TBD Labs, ongoing ramp in Andromeda and Generative Ads Model, and likely Prometheus datacenter launch in Ohio, while the tentpole industry events like FIFA World Cup, Winter Olympics, and U.S. Midterm Elections likely offset tougher comps, the firm added.

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Rothschild & Co Redburn

James Cordwell

Neutral -> Buy

upgrade

$740 -> $900

2026-01-26

New

Reason

Rothschild & Co Redburn

James Cordwell

Price Target

$740 -> $900

2026-01-26

New

upgrade

Neutral -> Buy

Reason

Rothschild & Co Redburn analyst James Cordwell upgraded Meta Platforms to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $900, up from $740. The shares could trade down to the mid $500s post the Q4 report if higher costs move down 2026 earnings estimates, the analyst tells investors in a research note. However, Rothschild sees a "disconnect" between the current stock price and Meta's long-term value. At $650, Meta's upside potential far outweighs any near-term risks to the downside, contends the firm. With the company's imminent fiscal 2026 guidance "set to leave estimates factoring in all the cost and little upside from AI, now seems opportune for investors to start building positions," concludes Rothschild. It recommends investors capitalize on any resulting weakness post the Q4 report.

Stifel

Mark Kelley

Buy

downgrade

$875 -> $785

2026-01-23

New

Reason

Stifel

Mark Kelley

Price Target

$875 -> $785

2026-01-23

New

downgrade

Buy

Reason

Stifel analyst Mark Kelley lowered the firm's price target on Meta Platforms to $785 from $875 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares as part of the firm's digital ads Q4 preview. Despite commentary from its Q4 advertising checks supporting "solid" Q4 results, and particular strength from Instagram Reels, the firm believes the bulk of investor attention will be centered on 2026 total and capital expense forecasts, the analyst noted.

About META

Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.