Azzad MarketWeek
Stocks delivered for investors last week as positive economic data and bullish holiday cheer powered the start of a “Santa Claus rally” past consumer bah humbug sentiment.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.03 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 1.52 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.67 percent..
Stocks opened lower to start the shortened holiday week with tech shares under pressure. Markets then moved sideways, but came under pressure after minutes from the December Federal Reserve meeting were released. Investors digested the details, which showed members remained divided.
Stocks recovered some ground on the first trading day of 2026. The tech sector was mixed, with AI chip stocks pushing higher, while other areas of technology, especially software companies, declined. Overall, the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials logged gains to kick off the new year, which helped pair losses from earlier in the week.
It remains to be seen whether the “Santa Claus rally”, which ends Monday, January 5, will materialize. The Santa period is the last five trading days of December through the first two trading days of the new year.
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