Wall Street Trades Cautiously as CPI Rises 2.7% Amid Weak Earnings Reports
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 13 2026
0mins
Source: Benzinga
- Stable Inflation Data: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7% year-over-year in December, matching both prior readings and economist expectations, indicating that inflationary pressures remain stable and potentially supporting future Federal Reserve rate cuts.
- Silver Price Surge: Supply concerns drove silver prices up 4.5% to $89 per ounce, marking a 22% increase since the start of the year, reflecting strong market demand and heightened risk aversion among investors.
- Major Indices Performance: By midday, the S&P 500 index remained flat at 6,970, close to the record high of 6,986 set the previous day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, indicating cautious market sentiment.
- Stock Movements: Despite JPMorgan Chase (JPM) beating earnings estimates, its stock fell over 3%, reflecting investor concerns over weak investment banking fees, while Moderna (MRNA) surged 14% due to bullish growth forecasts in its vaccine business, highlighting a preference for biotech stocks in the current market environment.
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Analyst Views on JPM
Wall Street analysts forecast JPM stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
7 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 288.730
Low
260.00
Averages
341.38
High
400.00
Current: 288.730
Low
260.00
Averages
341.38
High
400.00
About JPM
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company. The Company is engaged in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. The Company operates through three segments: Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Commercial & Investment Bank (CIB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). Its CCB segment offers products and services to consumers and small businesses through bank branches, ATMs, digital and telephone banking. Its CIB segment consists of banking and payments and markets and securities services, and offers a suite of investment banking, lending, payments, market-making, financing, custody and securities products and services to a global base of corporate and institutional clients. AWM segment offers investment and wealth management solutions. It offers multi-asset investment management solutions, retirement products and services, brokerage, custody, estate planning, and others.
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.
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- Funds Shifting to Grains: Wyckoff noted that speculative and hedge fund money appears to be rotating into grain markets, with corn, soybeans, and wheat prices trending higher since January, highlighting their relative attractiveness compared to gold.
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- Gold Price Decline: Gold is trading around $5,185 per ounce, down about 1% from the previous day, indicating a weakening demand in the market that may signal the end of the bull run.
- Limited Geopolitical Impact: Despite the Iran war being considered one of the biggest geopolitical events in decades, gold has failed to rally, with analyst Wyckoff suggesting that the market's lack of response to bullish news indicates that the bulls may be exhausted.
- Funds Shifting to Grains: Wyckoff noted that speculative and hedge fund money appears to be rotating into grain markets, with corn, soybeans, and wheat prices trending higher since January, highlighting their relative attractiveness compared to gold.
- Fertilizer Prices Surge: The ongoing Iran conflict has caused urea prices in New Orleans to surge over 30%, which may lead farmers to reduce corn planting in favor of soybeans, potentially tightening grain supply and driving prices higher later this year.
See More
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- Lending Restrictions: JPMorgan has begun restricting loans associated with software companies in its private credit funds, indicating a cautious approach towards the future prospects of the software industry, which may impact its investment returns in this sector.
- Credit Risk Exposure: As of October 2025, JPMorgan's total exposure in private credit reached $22.2 billion, suggesting that its risk management strategies are being adjusted to address market uncertainties.
- Market Reaction: Concerns that AI and platform-as-a-service companies may undermine the relevance of the software sector have led to declines for private equity and private credit firms investing in software-as-a-service companies, reflecting a weakening market confidence in this industry.
- Increased Redemption Requests: Other large private credit firms are also facing heightened redemption requests, such as Blackstone allowing investors to withdraw $3.7 billion from its $82 billion BCRED fund, indicating growing investor anxiety about market prospects.
See More
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- Underwriting Crisis: Christian Stracke of PIMCO highlights that the private credit crisis is rooted in poor underwriting practices, emphasizing overly optimistic assumptions about future growth that have led to declining loan quality, potentially triggering broader credit tightening.
- Lack of Market Transparency: Stracke notes the market's lack of transparency has eroded investor confidence, leading to assumptions of widespread fraud and poor underwriting, which could result in mid-single-digit default rates, adversely affecting investment returns.
- Major Banks Tightening Loans: JPMorgan Chase has marked down the value of certain private credit loans and is tightening lending to the sector, reflecting a reassessment of risk in the market that may exacerbate credit market tightening.
- Increased Redemption Pressures: With firms like Blackstone and BlackRock limiting redemptions, the private credit market is experiencing heightened redemption pressures, which could lead to liquidity crises and impact overall market stability.
See More
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- Market Focus: Wall Street is closely monitoring the auction of 10-year Treasury notes scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
- Demand Indicator: This auction is seen as a key indicator of market demand for long-duration, safe-haven assets.
- Previous Auction Performance: The attention comes after a disappointing sale of 3-year Treasury notes the day before.
- Investor Sentiment: The outcome of the 10-year note auction may influence investor sentiment regarding the stability of long-term investments.
See More
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See More
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- Nomination Blockade: Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina vowed to block any Fed nominations until Powell's investigation is resolved, highlighting the potential threat political struggles pose to the Fed's independence, which could affect market confidence in Fed policies.
- Powell's Testimony Issues: Powell was scheduled to testify before Congress on February 11 but missed the date due to the investigation; Scott noted Powell's unpreparedness during his committee appearance, although he believes Powell did not commit a crime, which may impact Powell's reputation.
- Warsh Nomination Outlook: Despite the obstacles, Senator Kevin Cramer believes Democrats should support Warsh's nomination, asserting there is no reason to oppose it, and that confirmation hearings will proceed promptly to avoid a gap between Powell's term and the new term.
See More
