A malaria-prevention partnership and a maritime cybersecurity certification powered outsized gains, while a $150M offering and reimbursement risks pressured the downside.
Watch January (Sponsored)
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Markets
U.S. stocks closed higher as geopolitical tensions eased after Trump announced a Greenland framework deal and backed off the threatened Europe tariffs. Markets were also boosted by stronger-than-expected economic data, including lower jobless claims and higher GDP.
DJIA [+0.63%]
S&P 500 [+0.55%]
Nasdaq [+0.91%]
Russell 2k [+0.65%]
Market-Moving News
Wealth Management
JPMorgan Starts Owning the Wires, Not Just the Wallet
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is quietly reinforcing its long-term wealth strategy by acquiring WealthOS, a UK-based pensions and wealth management software provider.
This is not a branding play; it is an infrastructure decision aimed at controlling the systems that sit underneath client money for decades.
Owning the Pipes Changes the Power
WealthOS gives JPMorgan modern, scalable software built specifically for pensions and portfolio administration.
When you control that layer, you decide how fast products evolve, how flexible planning becomes, and how smoothly assets move over time.
Instead of stitching together third-party tools, JPMorgan can now design retirement and investing as one continuous experience.
That matters when you expect your bank to understand your full financial life, not just your next trade.
The UK Stops Being a Side Project
This deal deepens JPMorgan’s UK commitment following Chase UK and Nutmeg. WealthOS becomes the connective tissue that allows those platforms to scale without legacy drag.
If you are building a digital-first retirement offering in a tightly regulated market, owning the software rails is leverage.
It reduces dependency risk and speeds up iteration when rules or customer behavior change.
Execution Is the Real Test
Integrating teams, modernizing workflows, and staying compliant across borders is hard. You only get the upside if systems actually talk to each other.
Still, the intent is unmistakable. JPMorgan is betting that the future of wealth belongs to firms that own the infrastructure, and this move quietly puts it ahead of many peers.
Healthcare
From Single Product to Platform, Ascendis Levels Up
Ascendis Pharma (NASDAQ: ASND) is moving out of the fragile, single-product biotech phase and into something sturdier.
The shift is being powered by Yorvipath, a treatment for hypoparathyroidism, a rare condition where patients cannot regulate calcium levels on their own.
In the U.S., Yorvipath is still early in its rollout, but the signal is strong.
Patients who start therapy are largely staying on it, which matters because this is lifelong treatment. When persistence is high, you are no longer guessing whether demand sticks.
Europe Is the Slow Burn
Europe offers a larger patient pool, but access moves country by country. Ascendis is not forcing speed here. Instead, it is letting the U.S. business mature while reimbursement discussions play out across Europe.
That pacing matters. You get global growth without overloading the organization or burning capital too early.
Why This Is No Longer a One-Story Company
Ascendis is developing a weekly maintenance version of its PTH therapy for stable patients.
This expands choice without replacing Yorvipath’s role in initial treatment. At this point, you are looking at a company building depth, not hoping one launch carries everything.
Ascendis is shaping into a long-duration endocrine specialist, and that is a very different risk profile than where it started.
If you are watching it today, you are no longer weighing a launch gamble; you are tracking how a focused endocrine platform compounds over time.
Final Opportunity (Sponsored)
When Charles Schwab, Morgan Stanley, and Securitize all make billion-dollar bets on the same opportunity — you pay attention.
They’re positioning around private markets — a space StartEngine has been building in for years.
Now, StartEngine’s own investors have fueled $1.5B+ through the platform, backing early access deals in names like Databricks and Groq.
With record 2025 results — $92M revenue, profitable every quarter — StartEngine is capping off its best year yet by closing this round.
Deadline approaching: Invest today and secure 20% bonus shares before the window shuts.
*This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc. No broker-dealer or intermediary involved in offering. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. For more information, please see the most recent Offering Circular and Risks related to this offering, as well as the Supplement to the Offering Circular announcing the “Termination Date.” In addition, as described in the Offering Circular, the Company retains the right to continue the offering beyond the Termination Date, in its sole discretion.
Automotive
Buick’s Quiet Move Signals a Bigger GM Shift
General Motors (NYSE: GM) is relocating production of a Buick compact SUV for U.S. customers from China to its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas, starting in 2028.
This is not about abandoning China; it is about deciding where U.S. vehicles should come from when uncertainty keeps rising.
When you look at tariffs, logistics risk, and geopolitical friction together, building closer to the customer starts to matter more than squeezing every last dollar of efficiency. GM is prioritizing predictability over distance.
Buick Gets Rewritten for the U.S. Market
For years, Buick’s U.S. lineup leaned heavily on China-built vehicles. Bringing a high-volume SUV stateside quietly reanchors the brand as domestic rather than imported by default.
That matters because perception influences loyalty. If you care about availability, pricing stability, or service continuity, local production removes the friction you rarely see until something breaks.
Fairfax Becomes a Flex Plant
The Kansas facility is being positioned as a multi-platform hub, capable of producing gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
That flexibility lets GM shift output as demand changes instead of waiting on overseas capacity.
From here, you are not watching a cost move; you are watching a control move. GM is building a playbook for a world where supply chains fragment and resilience beats optimization.
This decision signals how GM plans to compete when global manufacturing is no longer smooth or guaranteed.
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Top Winners and Losers
60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals Inc [SXTP] $5.00 (+150.08%)
60 Degrees Pharma surged after announcing a partnership with Runway Health to expand pre-travel access to its once-weekly malaria prevention drug ARAKODA through a direct-to-patient telehealth platform.
iOThree Limited [IOTR] $5.10 (+74.06%)
iOThree rose after its V.Secure maritime cybersecurity system received IACS UR E27 Type Approval from RINA, validating compliance with stringent shipboard cyber-resilience standards.
Ascent Solar Technologies [ASTI] $6.82 (+53.26%)
Ascent Solar Technologies climbed after highlighting its 2025 commercial progress, including new strategic partnerships and thin-film solar efficiency gains that support its 2026 growth outlook.
Poet Technologies Inc [POET] $6.94 (-17.08%)
POET fell after the company announced plans for a $150M registered direct offering, triggering dilution concerns despite the capital being earmarked for growth initiatives.
Inspire Medical Systems Inc [INSP] $80.81 (-16.00%)
Inspire dropped after two Medicare contractors (Noridian and CGS) removed a key billing code for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation, creating uncertainty around reimbursement for its core therapy.
Abbott Laboratories [ABT] $108.60 (-10.05%)
Abbott fell after reporting Q4 revenue below expectations, disappointing investors even though EPS came in roughly in line and margins improved.
Poll: Which money rule do you break most often?
First Movers (Sponsored)
Foreign powers are challenging the dollar while global tensions continue to rise.
Markets reward preparation, not hesitation, during moments of political and economic stress.
Savings left unprotected often take the hardest hit when volatility accelerates.
This Patriot’s Tax Shield shows how physical gold has historically helped investors protect purchasing power.
A free Wealth Protection Guide breaks down how Trump’s vision could create renewed momentum for gold.
Get the FREE guide and see how to protect savings today.
Everything Else
Wall Street nudged closer to another record as tariff relief and decent data gave risk appetite just enough room to breathe.
Paramount is betting European regulators will block a Warner Bros Netflix tie up, turning antitrust skepticism into part of its strategy.
Procter and Gamble missed revenue expectations after slower U.S. growth caught up with a brand built on steady demand.
Gold pushed to a fresh high near $4,900 an ounce as geopolitical tension kept fear trades firmly in fashion.
Bank of America and Citigroup are weighing new credit cards capped at 10% interest, a policy friendly idea that lands squarely on profitability math.
That's it for today! Please, write us back, and let us know what you think of the Closing Bell Roundup. We're always eager to hear feedback!
Thanks for reading. I'll see you at the next open!
Best Regards,
— Adam G.
Elite Trade Club
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