Memorial Day Market Closures and International Trading Schedules for 2026 The U.S. stock markets, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq, are closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day. This holiday, which honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military, marks one of 11 federal holidays in the country. Government offices, courts, and banks are also closed, with no mail delivery services operating on this day. The bond market and over-the-counter (OTC) trading platforms are similarly shut down, as per the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. The NYSE will resume trading at its usual hours—9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET—on Tuesday, May 26, following the holiday. Late trading sessions for NYSE American Equities, NYSE Arca Equities, NYSE National, and NYSE Texas are also suspended. The closure of U.S. markets extends to the bond market, which closed early on Friday, May 22, and remains closed through Memorial Day. OTC trading, which involves direct negotiations between buyers and sellers without a centralized exchange, is likewise inactive on May 25. International markets exhibit varied schedules for Memorial Day. The London Stock Exchange observes the holiday as a Spring Bank holiday, with trading suspended. EuroNext markets, which include exchanges in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, remain open, though Oslo’s trading is closed. In contrast, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange operate under normal trading hours, providing investors with alternative liquidity options. The 2026 U.S. stock market holiday schedule includes additional closures beyond Memorial Day. Markets are closed on January 19 for Martin Luther King, Jr.#nasdaq #new_york_stock_exchange #london_stock_exchange #euronext
Huntington Ingalls Industries: Key Player in U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), America’s largest military shipbuilder, closed its stock trading at $316.06 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 8, 2026, marking a 0.07% decline from the previous day. The stock’s volume during the session totaled 615,151 shares, with analysts projecting an average price target of $383.22, reflecting confidence in its role within the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding operations. The company’s trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.56 and a 1.75% dividend yield underscore its appeal to investors seeking stable returns in the aerospace and defense sector. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII operates as a major supplier of naval assets to the U.S. government, with a workforce of 44,000 employees as of May 2026. Its core business spans three primary segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. These divisions focus on the design, construction, and maintenance of complex naval systems, including nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines, amphibious assault ships, destroyers, and cutters. The company’s operations are heavily reliant on long-term contracts with the U.S. Navy and other government agencies, providing a steady revenue stream amid fluctuating market conditions. HII’s financial performance as of May 2026 highlights its profitability and strategic importance. The company reported trailing twelve months earnings per share (EPS) of $15.37, with net income reaching $605 million. Its net margin stands at 4.71%, while return on equity (ROE) is 12.05%, indicating efficient capital utilization. Key revenue drivers include the production of Virginia-class submarines and Columbia-class submarines, which are critical to the U.S.#newport_news #new_york_stock_exchange #huntington_ingalls_industries #u_s_government #u_s_navy
Chegg’s Collapse: How AI Tools Eroded a $15 Billion Tech Giant in Four Years Chegg, the American education technology company that rose to prominence during the pandemic, has faced a dramatic decline in value, with its market capitalization plummeting from over $14.7 billion in 2021 to roughly $156 million by 2025. The company, once a dominant force in online learning with a stock price peaking at $113.51 per share in February 2021, now trades at just $0.99 per share, reflecting a staggering 99% loss in value. Chegg’s recent quarterly results for the first quarter of 2026, set to be released on May 6, show total net revenues of $72.7 million—a 49% year-over-year decline. The company’s struggles began as generative AI tools like ChatGPT disrupted its core business model. By October 2023, Chegg announced the layoff of 45% of its workforce, or 388 employees, as it grappled with falling demand for its textbook rental and homework help services. Students increasingly turned to free AI chatbots, which could solve math problems and draft essays in seconds, rendering Chegg’s paid subscriptions obsolete. “The new realities of artificial intelligence... have led to plummeting revenue,” the company admitted in a statement at the time. Chegg’s challenges extended beyond AI. The company filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the search engine’s AI-generated summaries at the top of search results were “stealing” its traffic. By providing instant answers to students, Google cut off the flow of visitors to Chegg’s website, a claim echoed by other publications. The combined impact of ChatGPT’s instant solutions and Google’s AI-driven search results squeezed Chegg’s traditional business model into near-extinction. The decline was rapid and severe.#google #ai #chatgpt #new_york_stock_exchange #chegg
Chegg Becomes First Company Wiped Out by AI Disruption The collapse of Chegg, once a dominant player in the EdTech sector, marked a historic moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence’s impact on traditional industries. The company’s downfall, which unfolded over a three-year period, was triggered by the rapid rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, which fundamentally disrupted Chegg’s business model and eroded its market value. In early 2021, Chegg was at the peak of its success, valued at $14.5 billion. The company had built its empire on a proprietary database of 79 million step-by-step homework solutions, which it sold to college students for $19.95 per month. This model had been a cornerstone of its growth, particularly during the pandemic, when demand for online learning tools surged. However, the company’s dominance was short-lived. The turning point came on May 2, 2023, during an earnings call where then-CEO Dan Rosensweig admitted that ChatGPT, the free AI chatbot launched just five months earlier, was actively harming Chegg’s new customer growth. This admission sent shockwaves through Wall Street, leading to an immediate 50% drop in Chegg’s stock price. The company’s market capitalization plummeted by nearly $1 billion in a single day, marking the first time a publicly traded company officially blamed AI for its financial decline. The core of Chegg’s problem lay in the stark contrast between its paid service and the free, AI-driven alternatives. Students who once paid for access to human-generated solutions now had an instant, cost-free alternative in ChatGPT. The AI tool could not only solve equations but also explain underlying concepts and answer follow-up questions, rendering Chegg’s offerings obsolete. This shift created a “free vs.#chatgpt #new_york_stock_exchange #chegg #dan_rosensweig #ai_disruption
Bill Ackman Kicks Off Roadshow for Combined IPO of Pershing Square, New Fund Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square launched a roadshow for the U.S. initial public offerings of his management company and a new fund on Monday, despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Middle East conflict. The move comes amid a volatile market following failed weekend talks between the U.S. and Iran to end a war now in its seventh week. Ackman aims to capitalize on market disruption by acquiring undervalued assets through the new fund, Pershing Square USA. The roadshow marks a significant step for the billionaire investor, who previously attempted to take the new fund public in 2024 but scrapped the plan days before its scheduled debut due to hurdles. Pershing Square USA expects to raise between $5 billion and $10 billion from the IPO and a private placement, with shares priced at $50 each. The fund has already secured $2.8 billion in commitments from investors, including family offices, pension funds, and insurance companies. These investors will receive 30 shares in Pershing Square for every 100 shares purchased in the new fund. Ackman’s strategy for Pershing Square USA mirrors his existing hedge fund, which invests in 12 to 15 undervalued North American-listed companies. The new fund offers quicker access to capital and avoids performance fees to attract a broader investor base. Ackman emphasized in a letter to investors that a successful IPO could bolster efforts to launch other closed-end investment companies. The combined IPO will list Pershing Square Capital Management under the symbol “PS” and Pershing Square USA under “PSUS” on the New York Stock Exchange. Global coordinators for the offering include Citigroup, UBS Investment Bank, BofA Securities, Jefferies, and Wells Fargo Securities.#citigroup #new_york_stock_exchange #bill_ackman #pershing_square #ubs_investment_bank
Alex Karp Says There's Two Ways to Know If You Have a Future Palantir CEO Alex Karp outlined two categories of individuals who will remain in demand despite advancements in artificial intelligence. During an interview at Palantir’s AIPCon 9 conference, Karp emphasized that people with vocational training or those who are neurodivergent are less likely to face obsolescence. He described neurodiversity as a broad spectrum encompassing conditions like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, which he argued offer unique strengths in an evolving job market. Karp highlighted how AI and agentic AI systems are reshaping the value of traditional skills. He noted that tasks such as low-level coding, legal work, and basic reading and writing—once considered essential—are becoming increasingly automated. This shift, he explained, creates an “inversion” in the skills that will be most valuable. Instead of relying on conventional methods, individuals must develop creative problem-solving abilities, originality, and the capacity to approach challenges from unconventional angles. The CEO has long advocated for neurodivergent individuals, citing his own experience with dyslexia as a pivotal moment in his life. He argued that dyslexia, which he described as making it impossible to master a “playbook,” forces individuals to think independently and innovate. During a 2025 interview with The New York Times, Karp stated that neurodiversity is a critical asset in an AI-driven era, as it fosters the kind of adaptability and creativity that machines cannot replicate. Karp also called for a reevaluation of vocational training and educational systems in the United States.#the_new_york_times #palantir #new_york_stock_exchange #alex_karp #aipcon_9
The stock market's fear index is up. Here's why smart investors aren't selling. The CNN Fear and Greed Index has dropped sharply, reflecting growing investor anxiety amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and concerns about an artificial intelligence infrastructure bubble. The index, which tracks seven market indicators, has moved into extreme fear territory, with six of its components now signaling heightened caution. This includes metrics like the S&P 500's position relative to its 125-day moving average, the ratio of stocks hitting 52-week highs versus lows on the New York Stock Exchange, and measures of stock breadth and options activity. The only indicator not in extreme fear is market volatility, as measured by the VIX, which remains in the "fear" range but not "extreme fear." Historically, the index has reached single-digit levels twice in the past year, both of which coincided with market bottoms. In early April 2025, the index hit single digits just before a strong market rally that lasted until autumn. It dipped again in late November, signaling another potential buying opportunity as the year closed with a strong performance. These instances align with the adage that "buy when others are fearful," suggesting the index effectively captures market sentiment. For investors, the current environment presents a strategic opportunity. The article advises sticking to long-term investment strategies, such as dollar-cost averaging into broad-market index funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). This fund has outperformed most actively managed funds over a decade, making it a reliable choice for consistent growth. Investors who prefer individual stocks are encouraged to monitor the Fear and Greed Index, as its single-digit readings often precede market rebounds.#s_p_500 #vanguard_sp_500_etf #new_york_stock_exchange #cnn_fear_and_greed_index #motley_fool_stock_advisor
$1,000 in the VTI ETF Could Turn Into $1.39 Million. Here's the Math. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) offers investors a way to build wealth through consistent contributions and long-term growth. By investing $1,000 initially and adding $200 each month, an investor could accumulate nearly $1.4 million after 30 years, assuming the ETF replicates its historical 10-year performance. This example highlights the power of compounding and the benefits of a diversified approach to investing. VTI tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index, which includes nearly all U.S. stocks listed on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The fund holds over 3,500 stocks, weighted by market capitalization, giving investors exposure to companies of all sizes, from large-cap giants to smaller firms. This broad diversification helps mitigate risk by spreading investments across sectors and geographies. The ETF’s low expense ratio of 0.03%—just $3 annually on a $10,000 investment—makes it an attractive option for long-term strategies. Its passive management style means it requires minimal oversight, making it ideal for investors seeking a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Over the past decade, VTI has delivered an average annual return of 15%, which, when applied to a regular investment plan, can lead to significant growth. To illustrate, if an investor starts with $1,000 and adds $200 monthly, the fund’s performance could result in a nest egg of $58,100 after 10 years, $300,000 after 20 years, and $1.39 million after 30 years. This projection assumes consistent contributions and reinvestment of dividends, which are key drivers of compounding. While the stock market inevitably experiences fluctuations, the example underscores the importance of patience and regular investing.#nasdaq #vanguard #vti #crsp_us_total_market_index #new_york_stock_exchange
