Gold Just Crossed $4,800 — What Wall Street Is Preparing For Next
Gold didn't edge higher.
It broke through $4,800 — forcing a quiet reassessment across Wall Street.
After climbing more than 65% in 2025, gold is already up over 12% early in 2026.
For perspective: the S&P; 500 gained roughly 17% last year in total. Investors who stayed stock-heavy didn't just miss gold's move — they fell further behind.
When gold enters new highs, the next phase tends to move quickly.
Early investors reposition.
Latecomers are left chasing higher prices.
Behind the scenes, institutions are now stress-testing scenarios most retail investors haven't considered yet: $6,000 gold. Even $7,000.
This isn't hype. It's driven by mounting debt, renewed trade pressures, and central banks steadily reducing reliance on the dollar.
That's exactly why we created the Gold & Silver Playbook — a clear, practical guide to how experienced investors are positioning before this shift becomes obvious.
Inside, you'll discover:
- Where investors are moving into gold and silver right now
- How precious metals can be added to IRAs and 401(k)s without triggering tax penalties
- What history shows typically follows once gold enters true price discovery
The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to get positioned.
BioTech Breakout: MoonLake Up 30% On FDA Wins
Authored by Jeffrey Neal Johnson. Publication Date: 2/3/2026.
Key Takeaways
- The FDA recently granted Fast Track designation to MoonLake Immunotherapeutics' lead drug for a severe skin condition while clearing the path for a major filing.
- Management maintains a robust balance sheet that provides a cash runway extending well into the future to support ongoing clinical development plans.
- Rising share prices and upcoming data readouts could pressure short sellers who bet against the stock now that the period of uncertainty has passed.
In a stock market currently obsessed with interest rate cuts and the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, it is easy to overlook the biotechnology sector. Yet for investors willing to look past the Magnificent Seven, clinical-stage biotech remains one of the few places to find large, event-driven returns that are largely independent of the broader economy.
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (NASDAQ: MLTX) is illustrating that point in real time. The stock rose roughly 10% in the first trading days of February, pushing its price above $16 and contributing to a more than 30% gain over the past month. While volatility is the price of admission in this sector, MoonLake's recent rally is not pure hype — it's driven by a series of concrete regulatory wins that materially change the company's outlook.
Clearing a Path: The Month of Regulatory Wins
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Discover how to invest in the fund Trump uses to collect this income >>The catalyst for the most recent rally arrived on Feb. 2, 2026, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to MoonLake's lead drug, sonelokimab, for the treatment of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP).
PPP is a severe, chronic skin condition that causes painful blisters on the palms and soles. There are currently no approved treatments for PPP in the United States, representing a meaningful unmet need.
"Fast Track" can sound like a buzzword, but it has specific, practical benefits. The designation is granted by the FDA to drugs that show promise in treating serious conditions and offers two key advantages:
- Access: More frequent meetings with the FDA help ensure the company stays on the correct development path and avoids costly missteps.
- Speed: Fast Track enables rolling review, so MoonLake can submit completed sections of its application as they become ready rather than waiting to file everything at once — potentially shaving months off the timeline to approval and revenue.
This Fast Track news followed an even larger victory earlier in January.
On Jan. 8, 2026, MoonLake announced the results of a pivotal Type B meeting with the FDA about its primary target, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This was a turning point: MoonLake's stock had collapsed in 2025 after mixed HS trial results, and investors feared the FDA would demand a new, expensive multi-year study.
Instead, the FDA confirmed that the existing data are sufficient to support a filing. That confirmation was a major de-risking event. By clearing the path for HS and granting Fast Track for PPP, the FDA has effectively validated MoonLake's underlying Nanobody platform. Nanobodies are smaller than conventional antibodies and can penetrate inflamed tissue more effectively. Positive regulatory feedback across different diseases suggests the platform is broadly functional, shifting MoonLake from a high-risk gamble toward a company with a credible, diversified pipeline.
Cash Is King: Funded Through 2027
Experienced biotech investors often expect dilution when a small company's stock rallies, because many firms take advantage of price spikes to issue new shares and raise capital. MoonLake, however, is in a relatively strong financial position.
According to its third-quarter 2025 financial report, the company held about $380.5 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term securities. In drug development, cash equals time: at its current burn rate, MoonLake's runway extends into the second half of 2027.
That balance sheet is a central element of the bull case. It gives the company time to complete regulatory filings and potentially reach commercialization without immediately returning to the market for capital. Management can prioritize execution over fundraising, which reduces the near-term risk of a dilutive secondary offering that could knock the stock lower.
Skeptics vs. Momentum: The Setup for a Rally
Even with regulatory progress and a healthy cash position, skepticism remains. As of mid-January 2026, short interest in MoonLake had climbed to roughly 12.7% of the float.
Short sellers who built positions late in 2025 — when the stock was under pressure — are betting the company will face operational setbacks or dilute shareholders. Recent FDA developments make that bearish thesis less likely, creating a potentially combustible setup.
If positive news continues and the share price rises, short sellers will face mounting losses and may be forced to buy shares to cover their positions. This forced buying can amplify rallies. With about 12.7% of the float sold short, there is material short-covering potential that could accelerate MoonLake's upside if momentum persists.
Investor Day Preview: The Next Big Mover
The recent surge may be only the beginning. MoonLake has scheduled an Investor Day for Feb. 23, 2026.
The focal point will be the data readout from the Phase 2 S-OLARIS trial, which is testing sonelokimab in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a spinal form of arthritis. A positive result would add a third clear indication for the drug and further validate its cross-disease potential.
Looking beyond Investor Day, the company expects to release 52-week data from its HS trials in the second quarter of 2026, with a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission anticipated in the second half of the year.
Risk, Reward, and Regulatory Alpha
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics has navigated a perilous stretch that claims many young biotech firms. By securing a clear path to approval for HS and Fast Track status for PPP, the company has materially de-risked its profile. Remaining risks include commercial execution and competitive dynamics, but the combination of regulatory clarity, a solid balance sheet, and a skeptical market primed for a potential short squeeze makes MoonLake one of the more compelling idiosyncratic stories to watch in 2026.
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