Wall Street finished little changed in light trading on Friday, rounding out a week of gains after a strong run earlier in the period. With few major economic updates and many investors still away for the holidays, markets showed little urgency to move sharply in either direction.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 slipped 2.05 points, or 0.03 per cent, to close at 6,930.00. The Nasdaq Composite fell 20.21 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 23,593.10, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average eased 19.70 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 48,711.46.
Despite the flat finish, all three major indexes recorded weekly gains.
“We had a very strong five-day rally, so in a way we’re just simply catching our breath today after the holiday,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group in Omaha.
“This is only day two of the official Santa Claus rally period, so we still have some time, and we think there’s going to be a little more upward bias going forward.”
The rally period Detrick refers to spans the final five trading days of the year and the first two sessions of the new year. Historically, gains during this window have often been seen as a positive signal for market performance in the year ahead.
This year, the period began mid-week and runs through to 5 January, placing markets in a transitional phase where volumes are thin but expectations remain high.
Just three trading days remain in a volatile year that has tested investors with tariff concerns, ongoing geopolitical tensions and sharp swings driven by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence-linked stocks. Even so, all three major US indexes — led by the tech-heavy Nasdaq — are on track to post double-digit gains for the year.
“It’s a good reminder for investors that volatility is the toll we pay to get the solid gains we’ve seen in the last three years,” Detrick said.
“Odds are, 2026 is not going to be the first year in history with no volatility and no bad headlines. So you prepare yourself.”
Of the 11 sectors in the S&P 500, materials posted the strongest percentage gain on Friday, while consumer discretionary stocks lagged.
Over the year so far, communication services, technology and industrials have outperformed the broader market. Real estate is the only sector expected to finish 2025 in negative territory.
Nvidia rose 1.0 per cent after the AI chipmaker agreed to license chip technology from startup Groq and hire its chief executive. Target climbed 3.1 per cent after the Financial Times reported the retailer is facing pressure from hedge fund Toms Capital Investment Management, which has taken a significant stake in the company.
US-listed precious metals miners including First Majestic, Coeur Mining and Endeavour Silver rose between 1.2 per cent and 3.0 per cent, as gold and silver prices reached fresh record highs.
On the New York Stock Exchange, advancing stocks outnumbered decliners by a ratio of 1.13 to one. The exchange recorded 342 new highs and 66 new lows.
On the Nasdaq, declines were more common, with 1,968 stocks rising and 2,605 falling. The index logged 46 new highs and 166 new lows.
Trading volumes remained subdued, with about 10.22 billion shares changing hands across US exchanges. That was well below the 20-day average of 15.98 billion shares, reflecting the ongoing holiday slowdown.
In 2025, scientists have named several new dinosaur species and are learning new facts about the remarkable lives of dinosaurs.
Paleontologists have found a ‘Dragon price’ dinosaur — which may be a missing link in the…
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
NYSE
Stock futures were little changed Sunday night after the S&P 500 scaled to fresh record levels, with traders set to wrap up a strong 2025.
S&P 500 futures were up marginally, along with those tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Nasdaq-100 futures traded around the flatline as well.
Those moves come after the S&P 500 on Friday hit an intraday high of 6,945.77 before ending the session just below breakeven.
It has been a banner year on Wall Street, with the benchmark index up 17.7% in 2025. The Dow has gained 14.5%, putting it on track for its strongest year since 2021. The Nasdaq Composite has outperformed year-to-date, up 22.2%.
Wall Street is also in the throes of the Santa Claus rally period, a historically strong time for the stock market. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has averaged a gain of more than 1% between the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the new year, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac.
The economic data calendar is light for the week, but investors will get one more read into the Federal Reserve’s mindset heading into 2026. The central bank’s minutes from its December meeting are due for release on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.
The days when a Portland restaurant closing could shock us appear to be in the past. Perhaps that’s because dozens of local institutions — from Paley’s Place to Pok Pok, Toro Bravo to Beast — have already called it quits.
Or it could be…
Did you know that only about 23% of adults over 65 meet the basic physical activity guidelines recommended by health experts? That means the vast majority of older adults aren’t getting enough movement to maintain optimal health.
But…
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 10 Illinois wrestling team is set to end the 2025 calendar year with the 61st Annual…
TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows is on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229), giving you lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more on one computer.
Software…