Predicting 2026: Will the Magnificent 7 tech stocks continue to diverge?

Predicting 2026: Will the Magnificent 7 tech stocks continue to diverge?

Author: Financial Times January 2, 2026 Duration: 9:07

Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett predicted that the Magnificent 7 tech stocks were not going to fall, but they wouldn’t ride a lot higher either in 2025. What actually happened was a bit of a mixed bag, and Gillian says that sets these companies up for diverging paths in 2026. The era of an artificial intelligence tide lifting all boats seems to be drawing to an end. 


Mentioned in this podcast:

Forecasting the World in 2025 

Forecasting the world in 2026


Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts 


Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Sonja Hutson, and produced by Victoria Craig and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Kent Militzer. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello and David da Silva. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Start your morning with the essential context for the day ahead. FT News Briefing, directly from the Financial Times newsroom, cuts through the noise to deliver a concise, authoritative overview of the global business and political developments that truly matter. Each episode is a focused, ten-minute digest designed for the time-pressed, offering clarity on complex market movements, geopolitical shifts, and economic policy decisions. You’ll hear the FT’s expert analysis woven into the reporting, providing not just the headlines but the underlying forces at play. This daily podcast serves as an efficient primer, whether you’re commuting or preparing for your first meeting, ensuring you’re informed on the stories that will define conversations in boardrooms and beyond. Released every weekday morning, it’s a reliable filter for the overwhelming flow of information, built on the FT’s legacy of rigorous journalism. Tune in to transform the way you catch up on world events, turning a few minutes into a strategic advantage for your day.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

FT News Briefing
Podcast Episodes
US opens criminal investigation into Fed chair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:23
US federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, and civil unrest continues to threaten the Islamic regime in Iran. Plus, earnings season kicks off this week with the bank res…
Swamp Notes: Why Trump wants to ‘run’ other countries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:49
This is a repeat of an episode published on Swamp Notes, a sister podcast of the FT News Briefing on January 9, 2026. Subscribe to Swamp Notes on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.After a military opera…
Iranians protest over economic pain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
Glencore and Rio Tinto resume mining megamerger talks, protests in Iran over economic conditions are the largest in years, and the US trade deficit narrowed to its lowest level since 2009. Plus, is there a right way for…
Venezuela’s crumbling oil infrastructure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:47
The US wants to control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’ but the ‘catastrophic’ state of the Latin American nation’s crude facilities presents several hurdles. Plus, President Donald Trump banned institutional investo…
A wave of repression in Venezuela [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:52
Leading asset managers are positioning for a sharp sell-off in US technology stocks, Venezuela’s government has launched a crackdown after the US captured Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration is meeting with exec…
The investors eyeing Venezuela’s oil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:11
Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco trafficking charges, and smaller private investors are eager to invest in Venezuelan oil. Plus, Chinese carmarkers are expected to increase exports t…
Trump plans to ‘run’ Venezuela. What now? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:52
US President Donald Trump has warned Venezuela’s defacto leader she must meet America’s demands following Nicolas Maduro’s capture. We explore what Trump hopes to achieve in the Latin American country, and the challenges…
Predicting 2026: Will Trump and Musk officially reunite? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:11
Europe’s banking industry could shed 10 per cent of its workforce by 2030. Plus, the FT’s US national editor and columnist Edward Luce predicted America’s president would not fall out with one-time “first buddy”, billion…
Predicting 2026: Will Ukraine finally get a peace deal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:26
The FT’s Europe editor Ben Hall thought there would be a Ukraine peace deal in 2025. Despite lots of back and forth over ceasefire proposals, an agreement has yet to materialise. The negotiations reveal a lot about the r…