Shares of Robinhood (HOOD) climbed another 10% on Friday, extending a rally that has pushed the stock up more than 20% over the past two trading sessions as investors reacted to a string of developments tied to the company’s crypto, AI and retail investing initiatives.
Part of the momentum came from regulatory news earlier Friday after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved bitcoin (BTC) perpetual futures contracts on a regulated exchange operated by Kalshi, marking the first domestically regulated perpetual futures product in the U.S.
The agency also cleared a path for a Coinbase (COIN) affiliate to connect customers to global options and perpetual futures markets. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig called the decisions a “major step forward” for policies aimed at supporting the U.S. crypto sector. The move could accelerate the development of regulated crypto derivatives products, an area where Robinhood has been expanding following its acquisition of crypto exchange Bitstamp.
Investors were also digesting several company-specific announcements made this week. On Wednesday, Robinhood unveiled Agentic Trading and an Agentic Credit Card, products that allow customers to connect third-party AI agents to their accounts to automate investing and spending decisions. The company said users can set conditions for AI agents to monitor markets, rebalance portfolios, execute trades and make purchases while guardrails such as spending limits, notifications and instant shutdown controls remain in place.
And on Thursday, the Trump Accounts app launched ahead of a broader rollout scheduled for July. Robinhood is serving as the brokerage and clearing partner for the program, which allows families to open investment accounts for children and, for eligible newborns, receive a $1,000 Treasury-funded contribution.
On Thursday, Ethereum’s price briefly dropped below $2000 for the first time since late March. In doing so, the king altcoin effectively erased all its Q2 gains. At the time of writing, it was down 19% from its April peak of nearly $2.5K.
This week alone, the altcoin has shed 6% of its value.
Should it lose the Q2 support zone of $2K, short sellers could push it lower to $1.8K—the range low of the 2026 sideways structure.
The pullback mirrored a broader macro-driven correction that also dragged Bitcoin lower. However, according to Nansen, ETH’s weakness showed a “deeper problem.”
Source: ETH/USDT, TradingView
Negative ETH catalysts: ETF outflows, low network activity
In an email statement, Nansen Research analyst Nicolai Sondergaard told AMBCrypto,
Gas fees are sitting below 2 gwei, near cycle lows, which signals that network demand is soft. Fewer people are transacting, fewer contracts are being called, and the burn mechanism that once made ETH structurally deflationary has slowed considerably.
The “store value” proposition is not playing out for the altcoin for now. In fact, Grayscale proposed capping staking rewards to cap the resulting inflation that’s diluting ETH’s value.
However, part of the problem is structural. Now Layer 2s (L2s) handle most of the transactions and capture revenue away from the mainnet, added Sondergaard.
For the analyst, the low burn mechanism has turned ETH inflationary, which “removes one of the key narratives that drove conviction in prior cycles.”
On the institutional demand front, ETH has lagged behind BTC in 2026. Notably, the ETH/BTC ratio has dropped to a year low. The analyst highlighted,
The ETH/BTC ratio has compressed to 0.027, which is the more telling number. It reflects a cycle dynamic that has been stubborn throughout 2026: Bitcoin continues to capture institutional attention, and ETH has not yet pulled the same weight.
Source: ETH/BTC ratio, TradingView
Since 11 May, U.S. Spot ETH ETFs have seen consecutive daily outflows. The monthly outflows have hit $522M too—the highest since last December.
What could trigger ETH’s rebound?
For ETH to recover strongly, it needs renewed Spot ETH ETF inflows and network demand. Nansen’s Sondergaard concluded,
The macro environment also needs to stop punishing risk appetite. ETH does not need all of these at once, but it needs at least two. Right now, it has none of them.
Even so, whales have piled on to bid on the recent dip. In fact, wallets with over 100K ETH now control 22% of the supply, or 17.4 million ETH, marking a 10-week high.
Source: Santiment
However, the whale demand, likely driven by major players like Bitmine, was not enough to taper off the on-chain capital outflows. Notably, ETH’s capital outflow has deepened since last October, as tracked by the Realized Cap.
In fact, in 2026, the altcoin has seen $15B in capital outflows as Realized Cap dropped from $310B to $295B.
It meant that the aggregate demand for ETH was still negative. This further reinforced Nansen’s Sondergaard outlook.
Source: Glassnode
Will the ETH price retest $1.8K?
If the weak demand and outflows extend, then ETH’s price may fall to $1.8K. Interestingly, the MVRV Pricing Bands also implied such a projection.
After early 2026 price rejection at Realized Price (1.0 RP, green) at $2.3K, ETH could likely retest the next support band at $1.8K (blue). In fact, during the 2022 crypto winter, ETH only marked a true bottom after decisively climbing above the lower bands of the metric.
Source: Glassnode
Overall, the ETH price could slip lower to $1.8K in the medium term if the weak institutional demand and muted network activity continue in June.
Final Summary
According to Nansen, ETH currently has ‘none’ of the catalysts that fueled its rally in the past.
Whales with +100K ETH are aggressively buying the Q2 dip, increasing their aggregate holdings to 17.4M coins.
If you’re in the market for a home equity loan or line of credit, understanding home price trends is important, since rising property values are one of the main ways homeowners build equity.
According to the latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, property values posted a 0.7% gain in March. “The geographic divergence remains stark,” said Nicholas Godec, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, Head of Fixed Income Tradables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Midwest and Northeast markets are sustaining modest growth, while much of the Sun Belt and Western regions are still seeing declines.”
HELOC and home equity loan rates: Friday, May 29, 2026
The average HELOC rate is 7.21%, according to real estate analytics firm Curinos. The 2026 HELOC low was 7.19% in mid-March. The national average rate on a home equity loan is 7.36%, tied with the 2026 low first seen in mid-March.
How lenders determine HELOC and HEL interest rates
Home equity interest rates work differently from mortgage rates. Second mortgage rates are based on an index rate plus a margin. That index is often the prime rate, which remains at 6.75%. If a lender added 0.75% as a margin, the HELOC would have a variable rate of 7.50%.
A home equity loan may have a different margin because it is a fixed-interest product.
Lenders have flexibility with pricing on a second mortgage product, such as a HELOC or home equity loan. Your rate will depend on your credit score, the amount of debt you carry, and the amount of your credit line compared to the value of your home. Shop a few lenders to find your best interest rate offer.
Today, FourLeaf Credit Union is offering a HELOC APR (annual percentage rate) of 5.99% for 12 months on lines up to $500,000. That’s an introductory rate that will convert to a variable rate in one year.
When shopping for lenders, be aware of both rates. And as always, compare fees, repayment terms, and the minimum draw amount. The draw is the amount of money a lender requires you to initially take from your equity.
The best home equity loan lenders may be easier to find because the fixed rate you earn will last the length of the repayment period. That means just one rate to focus on. And you’re getting a lump sum, so no draw minimums to consider.
HELOC and home equity loan rates today: FAQs
What is a good interest rate on a HELOC right now?
Rates vary significantly from one lender to the next. You may see rates from 6% to as much as 18%. It really depends on your creditworthiness and how diligent you are as a shopper. Currently, the national average for an adjustable-rate HELOC is 7.21%, and for a fixed-rate home equity loan, it’s 7.36%. Those are the rates to meet or beat.
Is it a good idea to get a HELOC or a home equity loan right now?
Interest rates fell for most of 2025. They are expected to remain steady for much of 2026. So yes, it’s a good time to get a second mortgage. And with a HELOC or a HEL, you can use the cash drawn from your equity for things like home improvements, repairs, and upgrades. Or just about anything else.
What is the monthly payment on a $50,000 home equity line of credit?
If you withdraw the full $50,000 from a line of credit on your home and pay a 7.25% interest rate, for example, your monthly payment during the 10-year draw period would be about $302. That sounds good, but remember that the rate is usually variable, so it changes periodically, and your payments will increase during the 20-year repayment period. A HELOC essentially becomes a 30-year loan. HELOCs are best if you borrow and repay the balance within a much shorter period of time.
Ground beef just hit a record $6.89 a pound, up 80% since 2019 — and nobody along the supply chain sees relief coming. Ranchers like Eric Gropper point to years of drought that have shrunk cattle herds to their lowest level in decades. Meanwhile, meatpackers have been hammered by labor shortages and plant closures. And restaurants have had no choice but to keep raising prices.
But how much of this is the market, and how much is manipulation? Since the late 1970s, just four companies — Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef — have come to control roughly 80% of the American beef market. The Justice Department is now investigating, and McDonald’s and Target are among those suing over alleged price-fixing.
So how much has consolidation driven up prices? And would breaking up these companies actually lead to lower beef prices?
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Friday yet again sharply criticized Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and warned that the latest version of the Clarity Act could ultimately fail if lawmakers do not address concerns from traditional banks over stablecoin regulation.
In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business, Dimon appeared frustrated by the direction of the debate around stablecoins and digital asset legislation. Asked whether he was satisfied with the current draft of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the crypto market structure bill that will formalize rules around how federal securities and commodities regulators oversee crypto, Dimon said he was not.
“No, because it allows them to effectively pay interest on deposits, stablecoins or something like that, without protection that they should have,” Dimon said. “The banks will not accept it that way. … I’m not worried about stablecoins but if it happened I’m telling you I will have nothing to do with it and it will eventually blow up.”
The comments come amid a growing divide between the banking industry and crypto firms as lawmakers prepare for a key markup process that will determine whether the Clarity Act can advance through Congress. Lawmakers are expected to continue negotiating provisions governing stablecoin issuers, consumer protections, reserve requirements and whether crypto companies should be permitted to offer yield-bearing products that resemble traditional bank accounts.
For the legislation to ultimately become law, it must clear the full Senate and House of Representatives, and be signed by President Donald Trump. The Senate Banking Committee advanced its version of the bill through a markup earlier this month, and the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its own version earlier this year. At the moment, representatives from the two committees are merging the bills, a key step before the full Senate can take a look.
At the center of the dispute which dragged out the Banking Committee’s process is the question of stablecoin rewards. Armstrong and Coinbase have argued that traditional banks are pushing lawmakers to curb stablecoin rewards programs, which function similarly to high-yield interest accounts and could threaten banks’ deposit-based business models. Banking executives, meanwhile, contend that firms offering bank-like products should face comparable oversight and regulatory obligations.
The disagreement has become one of the primary reasons the legislation has stalled in Washington and failed to gain sufficient momentum earlier this year, despite broad bipartisan interest in creating a regulatory framework for digital assets.
Tensions between Armstrong and Wall Street executives have been building for months. During meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, Dimon told Armstrong, “You are full of s—,” according to people familiar with the exchange who spoke with The Wall Street Journal.
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan reportedly dismissed Armstrong’s arguments, telling him, “If you want to be a bank, just be a bank.” Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf declined to engage, while Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser spent less than a minute with him, according to that prior reporting.
Coinbase and JPMorgan did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (MTD), headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services for laboratory, industrial, and food retailing applications. Valued at $22.3 billion by market cap, the company also supplies several related analytical and measurement technologies.
Shares of this leading precision instruments supplier have underperformed the broader market over the past year. MTD has declined 5.9% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 27%. In 2026, MTD stock is down 21.5%, compared to the SPX’s 9.9% rise on a YTD basis.
More News from Barchart
Narrowing the focus, MTD’s outperformance is apparent compared to the First Trust Indxx Global Medical Devices ETF (MDEV). The exchange-traded fund has declined about 7.8% over the past year. However, the ETF’s 10.9% losses on a YTD basis outshine MTD’s dip over the same time frame.
www.barchart.com
MTD underperformed as pipette sales slipped on soft demand from academia and biotech. Core industrial sales were flat ex-acquisitions, reflecting cautious spending across most end markets.
On May 7, MTD reported its Q1 results, and its shares tumbled 14.8% in the following trading session. Its adjusted EPS of $8.91 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $8.70. The company’s revenue was $947.1 million, topping Wall Street forecasts of $946.8 million. The company expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $46.30 to $46.95.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect MTD’s EPS to grow 9.1% to $46.60 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 13 analysts covering MTD stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on six “Strong Buy” ratings, and seven “Holds.”
www.barchart.com
This configuration is less bullish than two months ago, with seven analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On May 18, Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) analyst Daniel Arias kept a “Buy” rating on MTD and lowered the price target to $1,400, implying a potential upside of 28% from current levels.
LAB’s [LAB] price rose by double digits in the past 24 hours, clocking more than 16% in gains.
The rally comes after weeks of scrutiny following a call-out by crypto investigator ZachXBT for an alleged scam. ZachXBT noted irregularities in the supply dynamics of the token, but that seems to have cooled off.
LAB price teases breakout but drops back
The rally came after the altcoin broke out from a sideways consolidation that had lasted for 14 days. Before this consolidation, LAB had made an all-time high (ATH) of $7.77.
While the two-week price range denotes accumulation, these traders were doing so in a premium zone. As per the Fibonacci Retracement tool, LAB was trading above the 50% level, but its price had wicked below that level several times.
The Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) was still trading above the neutral level while MACD bars indicated buyer strength.
Source: LAB/USDT on TradingView
However, LAB was struggling to stay above this breakout. The price is slowly returning to the range, though bulls are fighting to keep it above $4.87.
Futures’ positive inflows vs. Spot’s mixed flows
On the Futures market, CoinGlass data shows that capital inflows exceeded outflows. In the past 24 hours alone, derivative traders had pumped more than $8.46 million.
The 14-day price accumulation was evident on the Inflow/Outflow chart. The largest single-day accumulation was worth more than $114 million on the 2nd of May.
In total, over the two weeks, more than $633 million in capital had been leveraged.
Source: CoinGlass
Mixed activity characterized the spot market. As per Arkham, LAB tokens were leaving exchanges, signaling accumulation, and at the same time some were hitting the trading platforms.
For instance, a wallet withdrew thousands of LAB from Gate while almost equal tokens were deposited into KuCoin and AsterDEX exchanges.
Source: Arkham
The spot activity showed no clear direction, but the futures market was outright bullish.
LAB squeezed between liquidity clusters
Notably, LAB destroyed short orders, liquidating more than $4 million in the past 24 hours. As a result, LAB rallied to a daily high of $5.82, with more clusters forming between $5.50 and $6.
As such, the price is squeezed between liquidity clusters as more orders have formed between $4 and $5.
Source: CoinGlass
A liquidity sweep on the clusters on either side would amplify price movements in the direction of liquidity. In the case of shorts, LAB may reclaim its peak of $7.77, while for longs below $5, the price may drop to $4.
Final Summary
LAB rallied 16% in 24 hours following a price breakout and capital inflows from the Futures market.
The price was squeezed between highly concentrated liquidity clusters, and a sweep on either cluster could define its next move.
