Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
Stock Market Daily Podcast 01/29/2026
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Bullish Bitcoin traders grab crash protection as Friday’s $8.9 billion expiry nears
Bitcoin and ether options worth roughly $9.8 billion are set to expire Friday on Deribit, with positioning skewed bullish (put-call ratio at 0.56) even as traders hedge near-term downside. Flow shows increased use of put diagonal spreads and interest in Jan 30 BTC puts around 88k and 85k ahead of the Fed decision. While expiries can spark short-term swings, the notional is under 1% of bitcoin’s market size, limiting lasting impact.
BTC, ETH, SOL move higher as markets eye Fed, Mag 7 earnings and weaker dollar
Crypto ticked higher as bitcoin hovered near $89,000, supported by a softer dollar and record-setting equity markets, but gains remained measured as traders awaited the Fed and megacap earnings. Analysts say the rebound from the $86k–$87k zone reflects reduced leverage and stabilization, not strong momentum. For now, BTC appears range-bound as markets look for clearer macro signals.
HYPE token’s 50% surge is a story of crypto-traditional market convergence, treasury firm says
Hyperliquid’s HYPE jumped over 50% to about $34 as the platform’s HIP-3 expansion into tokenized equity indices, stocks, commodities, and major FX pairs accelerated activity. Hyperion DeFi frames the rally as evidence of asset-class convergence under tokenization, with on-chain volumes, open interest, and fees surging. A fee-funded buyback-and-burn mechanism (using up to 97% of revenues) adds a deflationary tailwind to HYPE.
Tether is buying up to $1 billion of gold per month and storing it in a “James Bond” bunker
Tether has been purchasing as much as two tons of physical gold a week — more than $1 billion a month — building a roughly 140-ton stash (about $24 billion) stored in a high-security Swiss bunker. The firm says tokenized gold addresses “paper gold” concerns and backs its XAUT stablecoin as investors seek tangible reserves amid weakening confidence in monetary systems. Central bank demand has also been robust, fueling debate over gold’s more than 90% year-over-year surge.
Cisco stock: how to find & own America’s greatest opportunities
Cisco’s 1990s run is presented as a classic case study in spotting exceptional growth — the company led in networking gear and, at its first breakout, had nine straight quarters of triple-digit earnings. The piece frames how strong fundamentals and product leadership can signal outsized stock opportunities for disciplined investors.
Declining profit, Medicare budget-tightening spell double trouble for UnitedHealth
UnitedHealth’s 2025 profit fell 41% to $19 billion and the company guided a rare 2026 revenue decline, while the CMS proposed a scant 0.09% Medicare Advantage rate increase for 2027, far below expectations. Shares plunged 19.6% as sector peers also sank (Humana -21%, CVS -14%), reflecting concern over tightening margins. UNH’s medical care ratio rose to 88.9% in 2025, underscoring cost pressures across insurers.
Genel Energy Q4 earnings call highlights
Genel ended 2025 with $134 million net cash and emphasized balance-sheet strength while outlining renewed drilling at the Tawke PSC in 2026 after restoring production to around 80,000 bpd post a mid-year outage. Management is holding off on joining interim export arrangements until full “top-up” terms are proven and is pursuing diversification via projects in Oman Block 54 and Somaliland. The company says domestic sales cover costs and PSC cost recovery supports quick payback on new Tawke investments.
