Markets were up this Monday, in what feels like the first day in the past week of trading that didn’t feel hijacked by hedge-fund short-squeeze plots (although now investors are talking up the silver market in similar terms), and began to once again assess the value of a post-Covid world, or at least the next plateau from the full pandemic period. The Nasdaq led the way, +2.55%, followed by the small-cap Russell 2000, which snapped a five-session losing streak. The S&P 500 posted its best single trading day since November, +1.6%, while the Dow grew 230 points, +0.77%.Republican senators on Capitol Hill are about to meet with President Biden this afternoon to pitch their alternative pandemic relief package, worth a reported $618 billion. This is less than 1/3 of what Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion package would be, and the markets basically paid this news item no heed today. If negotiations get too thorny on a final package, Democrats on the Hill have already expressed interest in passing their bigger bill by reconciliation, which would require a simply majority vote.Manufacturing data released earlier today showed a mixed, if muted, picture for last month: Markit Manufacturing PMI came in-line with expectations to 59.2, while ISM Manufacturing slid off pace a tad to 58.7% from an expected 60.0%, down 200 basis points month over month. Construction Spending, to keep an eye on Goods-producing another minute, rose 1.0% in December — better than the 0.8% expected, but a tad lower than the upwardly revised 1.1% the previous month.Cirrus Logic CRUS shares fell 7% following the release of it Q4 earnings statement, even though the fabless semiconductor supplier beat estimates on both top and bottom lines: $2.13 per share topped not only the $1.81 per share estimate, but the $1.41 posted in the year-ago quarter. Revenues beat expectations by 5% to $485.50 million, well ahead of the $374.67 million from the Q4-19 period. However, the lower range of revenue guidance for Q1, $280 million, is well below the $308 million in the Zacks consensus. For more on CRUS’ earnings, click here.Vertex Pharma VRTX is selling off about 1.2% after publishing its Q4 report this afternoon, with its first earnings miss since Q3 2016: $2.5 per share versus $2.65 expected. Still, it’s a big step forward from the $1.70 reported a year ago. Sales in the quarter beat estimates — $1.63 billion versus $1.58 billion expected — up around 15% year over year. Vertex shares dropped dramatically last fall upon the company scrapping a mid-stage trial on negative side-effects of its drug candidate, and is back to trading flat year over year.Questions or comments about this article and/or its author? Click here>> Legal Marijuana: An Investor’s DreamImagine getting in early on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027.Although marijuana stocks did better as the pandemic took hold than the market as a whole, they’ve been pushed down. This is exactly the right time to get in on selected strong companies at a fraction of their value before COVID struck. Zacks’ Special Report, Marijuana Moneymakers, reveals 10 exciting tickers for urgent consideration.Download Marijuana Moneymakers FREE >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX): Free Stock Analysis Report Cirrus Logic, Inc. (CRUS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report