iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF

Investors Maintain Bullish Stance on IBM's Options Trading

Whale investors bearish on Merck & Co

OLD National Bancorp IN reduces holdings in Cisco Systems

Visa and Mastercard Report 4% Growth in US Holiday Retail Sales

OFI Invest Increased Holdings in Merck

UAE Collaborates with Cisco to Upgrade EMIX Network

Confluence Investment Management LLC Reduces Cisco Stock Holdings

Cencora's EVP Elizabeth Campbell sells company stocks

Cencora Inc CEO Sells Shares

Financial Giants Bullish on Mastercard Options Trading, HSBC Upgrades Rating

Bearish Sentiment Prevails in IBM's Option Trades

Merck Reduces Diabetes Drug Prices and Reports Positive Results for New Therapy

McKesson to Announce Q3 FY2026 Earnings on February 4, 2026

Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY reduced holding in Cisco Systems

Moneyhash Partners with Mastercard to Expand Merchant Cloud Platform

Cisco Launches Cisco IQ Digital Interface

Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC Increased IBM Stock Holdings in Q3

Merck Serono's Pemigatinib Capsule Approved by China's NMPA

Mastercard Announces Dividend Increase and Launches Multi-Billion Dollar Buyback Program

Morgan Stanley expects Cisco and Arista to outperform in 2026

PicoCELA

Santech

Trinity Biotech

Highway

Aimei Health Tech

Euda Health

Ascent Solar Tech

Syntec Optics

Sable Offshore

Vivakor

Deep-pocketed investors are showing a bullish stance on IBM, with significant options activity noted by Benzinga. The activity includes 50 unusual options, with 52% bullish sentiment. Investors are targeting a price range of $150 to $400. IBM's current price is $303.06, with a consensus target of $325. An analyst from Stifel maintains a Buy rating. Options trading is highlighted as riskier but with higher profit potential. Benzinga Pro offers real-time options trade alerts for IBM.

benzinga_article

IBM Unusual Options Activity For December 23

Whales are showing a bearish stance on Merck & Co, with 53% of trades being bearish. Significant investors predict a price range of $90-$110 for MRK over the next three months. Trading volume is 7,080,902, with MRK's price at $104.99. Analysts have mixed ratings, with target prices ranging from $102 to $130. Options trading is highlighted as riskier but potentially more profitable.

Merck

Check Out What Whales Are Doing With MRK

CSCO

Mutare Inc. has partnered with Webex by Cisco to launch Voice Traffic Score (VTS), a real-time call reputation intelligence solution. VTS assigns risk scores to inbound calls, allowing automatic responses to block, challenge, or allow calls based on risk. This integration enhances voice channel security for Webex customers, offering seamless onboarding through Webex Control Hub. Mutare's solution aims to protect against voice-based threats, strengthening enterprise security.

prnewswire

Cisco

08:51 ET
			
			
				Mutare Launches Voice Traffic Score (VTS) for Real-Time Call Reputation Intelligence with Webex by Cisco

Mastercard Reports 3.9% US Holiday Retail Sales Growth

marketscreener

Mastercard

Mastercard Reports 3.9% US Holiday Retail Sales Growth

OLD National Bancorp IN reduced its holdings in Cisco Systems by 23.2% in Q3. Insiders sold 1,044,865 shares worth $81.4M. Analysts raised price targets, with Citic Securities and JPMorgan Chase & Co. setting targets at $90. Cisco's stock opened at $78.11, with a market cap of $308.62B and a P/E ratio of 29.36.

Market Beat

Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Sold by OLD National Bancorp IN

Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in IBM by 185.9% in Q3, owning 5,810 shares worth $1,639,000. Other hedge funds also modified their holdings. Analysts have mixed ratings on IBM, with a consensus price target of $293.38. IBM reported Q3 earnings of $2.65 per share, beating estimates, with revenue of $16.33 billion, up 9.1% YoY.

International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Shares Bought by Matrix Trust Co

FISV

Fiserv and Mastercard have expanded their partnership to operationalize agentic commerce, adopting Mastercard’s Agent Pay Acceptance Framework. This infrastructure allows AI agents to initiate secure transactions, enhancing machine-to-machine economy. Fiserv integrates with Mastercard’s Secure Card on File service, using network tokens for transactions. The partnership competes with Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol and digital-native platforms like Coinbase and Stripe, shaping the future of autonomous digital commerce.

- Fiserv and Mastercard have enhanced their partnership to implement agentic commerce, leveraging Mastercard’s Agent Pay Acceptance Framework for secure AI-driven transactions.  
- This collaboration integrates Fiserv with Mastercard's Secure Card on File service, enabling AI agents to use network tokens with robust fraud controls, while a competitive landscape develops with Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol enhancing bot defenses.  
- The evolving ecosystem includes digital platforms and startups like Coinbase and Stripe, which provide essential infrastructure for machine-to-machine payments, pushing forward standards for secure autonomous digital commerce.

StartupHub

Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc.

The Fiserv-Mastercard Strategy in Agentic Commerce and Agentic Payments

Visa and Mastercard report a 4% growth in US holiday retail sales, driven by early promotions and online shopping convenience. Shoppers used AI tools to compare prices, with electronics and clothing being top spending categories. Visa's data showed a 4.2% rise in retail spending, while Mastercard reported a 3.9% increase. Both companies noted that online sales outpaced brick-and-mortar stores.

- U.S. retail sales have increased by about 4% during the holiday season, driven by shoppers using AI tools for price comparison and early promotions.  
- Visa reported a 4.2% rise in retail spending, while Mastercard indicated a 3.9% year-over-year increase, both exceeding previous forecasts.  
- Electronics and clothing are the leading spending categories, with online sales growth outpacing that of physical stores, although the latter still dominates transaction volume.

Reuters

Visa

Visa and Mastercard report 4% growth in US holiday retail sales

OFI Invest Asset Management increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.5% in Q3, owning 733,819 shares valued at $61.59 million. Other major investors also adjusted their positions, with significant stakes acquired by DLD Asset Management, Norges Bank, and Franklin Resources. Merck's stock opened at $104.79, with a market cap of $260.08 billion. The company announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.85 per share.

Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by OFI Invest Asset Management

e& UAE has upgraded its EMIX network to 400G in collaboration with Cisco to meet traffic growth and enhance performance. The upgrade includes AI/ML-driven network automation for improved service reliability. Cisco's ASR9000 routers facilitate the transition, supporting scalable and resilient network infrastructures. This move aims to provide better connectivity and performance for carriers, ISPs, and mobile operators across MENA, aligning with the region's digital transformation.

Zawya

ZAWYA-PRESSR: E& boosts EMIX backbone to 400G in collaboration with Cisco

Confluence Investment Management LLC sold 31,319 shares of Cisco Systems, reducing its stake by 1.8% in Q3. Cisco's stock is rated "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $84.55. Analysts have adjusted price targets, with some upgrading to "Buy" and others downgrading to "Hold." Cisco's stock opened at $78.11, with a 12-month high of $80.82.

Confluence Investment Management LLC Sells 31,319 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Mastercard SpendingPulse reports a 3.9% YOY increase in U.S. holiday retail sales, driven by savvy shoppers and e-commerce. Consumers blended online and in-store shopping, boosting e-commerce sales by 7.4% and in-store sales by 2.9%. Apparel spending rose 7.8%, and dining out grew 5.2%. AI investment is enhancing consumer experiences, with deeper integration expected to further improve shopping convenience and value.

- U.S. retail sales, excluding automotive, rose 3.9% year-over-year from November 1 to December 21, reflecting a blend of online and in-store shopping.  
- Consumers prioritized value, with e-commerce sales increasing by 7.4% and in-store sales by 2.9%, while spending on apparel and dining out also rose notably.  
- Mastercard's insights highlight the role of AI in enhancing the shopping experience, suggesting a trend towards deeper integration of technology in retail practices.

StockTitan

Mastercard SpendingPulse: Savvy Shoppers and E-Commerce Fuel U.S. Holiday Retail Sales Growth by 3.9% YOY | MA Stock News

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s stock rose 2.85% to $584.66, outperforming competitors like RTX Corp., Boeing Co., and Lockheed Martin Corp. on a strong trading day. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones also saw gains. Despite the rise, Northrop Grumman remains 8.78% below its 52-week high. Trading volume was below the 50-day average.

Dow Jones

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corp. Stock Outperforms Competitors On Strong Trading Day

GILD

Gilead Sciences Inc. will present at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 12, 2026, at 11:15 a.m. PT. The live webcast will be available at investors.gilead.com, with a replay accessible for 30 days. Disclaimer: This AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and not financial, investment, or legal advice.

IBM Unusual Options Activity For December 23

Check Out What Whales Are Doing With MRK

08:51 ET Mutare Launches Voice Traffic Score (VTS) for Real-Time Call Reputation Intelligence with Webex by Cisco

Mastercard Reports 3.9% US Holiday Retail Sales Growth

Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Sold by OLD National Bancorp IN