The U.S. stock market closed higher on Monday, starting the new trading month on a positive note despite continued volatility in the commodity markets.
Overall, S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 6,976, while NASDAQ increased 0.6% to 23,592.
Tweet of the Day
Costco $COST Stock is in a Downtrend, But the Shares Are Still Expensive Here | https://t.co/okk2zNoNrI
— SchoolofHardStocks (@SchoolHardStock) February 2, 2026
Chart of the Day
Here is the ten-year chart of Factset Research (FDS) as of December 22, 2025, when the stock was at $291.
Factset Research’s profit growth is getting weaker, and investors are increasingly concerned about the trend. Once a consistent double-digit earnings grower, the company is now delivering only modest profit growth (3% last quarter). The company used to be a perennial 10% profit grower.
A major concern is that advancing AI tools could reduce demand for Factset Research’s expensive data and research products by automating tasks like financial modeling and research writing. Management stated it is investing more in areas like private markets data and sales to adapt, but those investments are pressuring margins. The company only gained 7 clients last quarter, bringing its total to 9,003. That’s weak.
FDS is part of our Conservative Stock Portfolio. This used to be a fabulous buy-and-hold stock, but profits need to accelerate for FDS to remain in the portfolio.
