<div id="readability-page-1">Market Update: S&amp;P 500 E-Mini Futuresup 1.36% year-to-datePrice action through the first half of December 2025 was choppy,immediatelyfollowed by a quick selloff toward$6,756.50 level weindicatedin last month's article.Price then rallied to new all-time highs through December 26th.Since then, moving toward and through the new year, price action made a measured move back down, followed by another rally to new all-time highs. On January7th, 2026, the S&amp;P E-Mini Futures surpassed the $7,000 price level.Historically, price action tends to bounce off and around big roundnumberprice levels.So,it would not be unreasonable to expect price action to dance around the $7,000 price level this month.If sellers do take controlfromthe current price level, look for them to target the $6,950 level, followed by the $6,850 level.A note on earnings tradesTo capture the bulk of the volatility of earnings announcements, earnings trades are often executed either the day before or on the day of the earnings announcement. However, earnings trades can also be placed days or weeks before an earnings event, which could lead to early profit taking.Alternatively, placing a trade shortly after an earnings announcement can be a strategic choice to circumvent the binary nature of the event. Evaluate each trade in a way that allows you to execute the position that matches your strategy.Ifyou'reconsidering a trade going into an earnings event, one approach is toinitiatethe position in the monthly options contract that follows the earnings event. This strategy offers flexibility. Should you need to defend your position –perhaps due tounexpected market movements – you have the choice to 'roll' it out to thesubsequentmonthly options. Rolling out the position in this way allows you to extend its duration and potentially collect more premium, providing a buffer against market volatility.Top 5 stocks to watch in January 2026:<ol><li>Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) – January 13, Before the open</li><li>Citigroup Inc. (C) – January 14, Before the open</li><li>3M Company (MMM) – January 20</li><li>Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) – January 20, After the close</li><li>United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) – January 20</li><li>Alcoa Corporation (AA) – January 22, After the close</li><li>International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) – January 28, After the close</li><li>Intel Corporation (INTC) – January 29</li><li>Apple Inc. (AAPL) – January 29</li><li>SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) – January 30, Before the open</li></ol><figure><div><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt40263f25ec36953f/blt281735f3ed15b63a/695eafe8e4960d72ede4f5d0/Screenshot_2026-01-07_at_1.11.09_PM.png/query-YXV0bz13ZWJwJmRpc2FibGU9dXBzY2FsZSZmb3JtYXQ9cGpwZyZxdWFsaXR5PTUwJndpZHRoPTI1OTI?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" height="1122" width="2592" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt40263f25ec36953f/blt281735f3ed15b63a/695eafe8e4960d72ede4f5d0/Screenshot_2026-01-07_at_1.11.09_PM.png/query-YXV0bz13ZWJwJmRpc2FibGU9dXBzY2FsZSZmb3JtYXQ9cGpwZyZxdWFsaXR5PTUwJndpZHRoPTI1OTI"/><figcaption>Year-to-date price percent change chart for SPY, QQQ, IWM, SLV, and TLT.</figcaption></div></figure><ol><li>Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) – Operates a global airline providing passenger and cargo transportation services.DAL is currently up 0.6% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 21.3, with JanuaryIVxat 60, FebruaryIVxat 43.8, and its liquidity is rated 2 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>Citigroup Inc. (C) – Provides banking, investment, and financial services worldwide.C is currently up 5.2% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 21.3, with JanuaryIVxat 38.9, FebruaryIVxat 32.6, and its liquidity is rated 4 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>3M Company (MMM) – Manufactures industrial, safety, and consumer products across multiple sectors.MMM is currently up 2.15% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 20.2, with JanuaryIVxat 27.6, FebruaryIVxat 30.6, and its liquidity is rated 3 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) – Offers streaming entertainment services and produces original content.NFLX is currently down 2.84% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 37.6, with JanuaryIVxat 31, FebruaryIVxat 40.8, and its liquidity is rated 4 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) – Operates an airline offering domestic and international passenger flights.UAL is currentlyup2.03% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 19.1, with JanuaryIVxat 54.9, FebruaryIVxat 50.1, and its liquidity is rated 2 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>Alcoa Corporation (AA) – Produces aluminum and related products for industrial applications.AA is currently up 13.53% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 32.9, with JanuaryIVxat 59.6, FebruaryIVxat 54.9, and its liquidity is rated 3 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) – Provides enterprise IT services, software, and hardware solutions.IBM is currently down 0.87% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 31, with JanuaryIVxat 27.8, FebruaryIVxat 33.6, and its liquidity is rated 3 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>Intel Corporation (INTC) – Designs and manufactures microprocessors and semiconductor products.INTC is currently up 4.24% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 32.4, with JanuaryIVxat 59.9, FebruaryIVxat 60.8, and its liquidity is rated 4 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>Apple Inc. (AAPL) – Develops consumer electronics, software, and digital services.AAPL is currently down 1.83% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 132, with JanuaryIVxat 22.1, FebruaryIVxat 25.2, and its liquidity is rated 4 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li><li>SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) – Offers digital financial services including lending, investing, and banking.SOFI is currently up 9.83% year-to-date. Its current IVR is 17.9, with JanuaryIVxat 58.4, FebruaryIVxat 66.7, and its liquidity is rated 4 out of 4 on thetastytradeplatform.</li></ol>For live daily programming, market news and commentary, visittastyliveor the YouTube channelstastylive(for options traders), andtastyliveTrendingfor stocks, futures, forex &amp; macro.Trade with a better broker,open a tastytrade accounttoday. tastylive, Inc. and tastytrade, Inc. are separate but affiliated companies.</div>

INTC

NFLX

The S&P 500 E-Mini Futures have risen 1.36% year-to-date, surpassing the $7,000 mark on January 7, 2026. Key stocks to watch this month include Delta Air Lines (DAL), Citigroup (C), 3M (MMM), Netflix (NFLX), United Airlines (UAL), Alcoa (AA), IBM, Intel (INTC), Apple (AAPL), and SoFi Technologies (SOFI), with varying year-to-date performance and implied volatility ratings. Strategies for trading around earnings announcements are discussed, emphasizing the importance of timing and flexibility in options trading.

- The S&P 500 E-Mini Futures increased by 1.36% year-to-date, surpassing the $7,000 price level on January 7, 2026, following a series of fluctuations and rallies.  
- Key earnings announcements in January 2026 are expected from several major companies, including Delta Air Lines and Netflix, with various trade strategies highlighted.  
- Stocks like Alcoa and Citigroup show positive year-to-date performance, while others, like Netflix and Apple, are currently down, indicating varied market conditions.

Top 10 Stocks to Watch: January 2026