What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after broader macroeconomic concerns, including an ongoing government shutdown and anticipation of commentary from Federal Reserve officials, began to weigh on investor sentiment. 

After reaching new record highs, major U.S. indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq experienced a slight retreat. This pause came as investors grappled with the potential economic impact of a partial government shutdown, which had dampened consumer confidence and delayed the release of key economic data, such as September's nonfarm payrolls. The market appeared to be in a holding pattern as traders anticipated signals from Federal Reserve officials, looking for clues on future monetary policy. The caution in the broader market suggests that wider economic anxieties are currently overriding recent sector-specific optimism.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Satellite Telecommunication Services company Iridium (NASDAQ: IRDM) fell 2.8%. Is now the time to buy Iridium? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Government & Technical Consulting company Amentum (NYSE: AMTM) fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Amentum? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Specialized Technology company Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX) fell 3.3%. Is now the time to buy Cognex? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Digital Media & Content Platforms company WEBTOON (NASDAQ: WBTN) fell 4.1%. Is now the time to buy WEBTOON? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Digital Media & Content Platforms company Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) fell 2.9%. Is now the time to buy Ziff Davis? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On WEBTOON (WBTN)

WEBTOON’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 36 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 7 days ago when the stock dropped 5.5% after a report from The Conference Board showed its Consumer Confidence Index fell for a second consecutive month to 94.2, its lowest level since April 2025. 

The decline was driven by a more pessimistic view of current conditions, with the Present Situation Index falling by 7.0 points. Consumers' assessments of both business conditions and job availability weakened significantly, with the latter falling for the ninth straight month to a multiyear low. This drop in confidence is a concerning signal for the economy, as it often precedes a slowdown in consumer and business spending. For the business services sector, which is sensitive to economic cycles, weakening confidence can translate into reduced demand for a wide range of services.

WEBTOON is up 33% since the beginning of the year, but at $18.08 per share, it is still trading 15.2% below its 52-week high of $21.31 from September 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of WEBTOON’s shares at the IPO in June 2024 would now be looking at an investment worth $786.09.

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