Market Week: January 12, 2026
The Markets (as of market close January 9, 2026)
Wall Street responded to mixed economic data by closing higher last week. The Dow reached a record high, ending the week well above the 49,000 milestone, surpassing that mark for the first time in its history. Investors were not deterred by a rather lukewarm jobs report, as the S&P 500 closed at a new record high, while a mid-week profit-taking in tech and AI stocks wasn’t enough to prevent the NASDAQ from also closing notably higher. The Russell 2000, which is reactive to industrials, healthcare, and financials, outperformed the larger-cap indexes. Nine of the 11 market sectors ended the week higher, led by materials, industrials, and energy. Information technology and utilities closed marginally in the red. Ten-year Treasury yields ticked lower. Crude oil prices inched higher as markets responded to unrest in Iran and continued uncertainty over the Venezuelan crude oil supply.
Market Week: January 5, 2026
The Markets (as of market close January 2, 2026)
Wall Street began 2026 in rather lackluster style, with each of the major benchmark indexes listed here closing the week lower, with the exception of the Global Dow. A brief tech rally last Friday wasn’t enough to prevent stocks from closing the week in the red. The common year-end rally, known as the “Santa Claus rally,” never materialized as the market notched four straight losing sessions to close out December. Investors appear to be exercising caution as they await the Federal Reserve’s next move in response to sticky inflation and a cooling labor market. Among the 11 S&P 500 market sectors, only energy, utilities, industrials, and materials moved higher, while consumer discretionary, information technology, and financials saw associated stocks fall the furthest. Ten-year Treasury yields edged slightly higher, reflecting ongoing fiscal and inflation concerns. Crude oil prices ticked higher, while gold prices edged lower.
Market Week: December 22, 2025
The Markets (as of market close December 19, 2025)
The stock market declined for most of last week, only to rally last Thursday and Friday. The last two weeks have been “catch-up” periods for the economy with the release of a large influx of economic data following the 43-day government shutdown. While last week started with heavy selling, particularly in the tech sector, a cooler-than-expected Consumer Price Index (see below) last Thursday helped drive the market higher. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ ended the week higher, while the Dow, the Global Dow, and the small caps of the Russell 2000 closed down. Of the 11 S&P 500 market sectors, only consumer discretionary and health care outperformed. The remaining sectors closed the week in the red, with energy falling nearly 4.0%. Crude oil declined for a second straight week with prices falling to their lowest levels in nearly five years, as concerns over a global supply glut and trade tensions outweighed geopolitical risks. Despite unemployment rising (see below), evidence of waning inflationary pressures is leading some analysts to suggest a “Santa Claus” rally (historically occurring over the last five days of December) is in the offing.
Market Week: December 15, 2025
The Markets (as of market close December 12, 2025)
Wall Street experienced a mixed week highlighted by the Federal Reserve’s policy decision (see below) and a retreat from technology shares. Illustrative of the week’s volatility, the Dow and the S&P 500 reached record highs mid-week following the Fed’s latest rate cut, before retreating at the end of the week. Despite a negative close last Friday, the Dow, the Global Dow, and the Russell 2000 ended the week higher, while the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 finished the week in the red. Investors moved out of technology and AI stocks and into more cyclical shares like financials, materials, and small-cap stocks. Treasury yields, which move inversely to bond prices, were mixed for the most part, ultimately trending upward by week’s end. The Fed’s overall sentiment that the economy, particularly the labor market, should hold up in 2026 reduced the demand for long-term bonds. Ongoing expectations of a global surplus pulled crude oil prices lower again last week.
Market Week: December 8, 2025
The Markets (as of market close November 5, 2025)
The stock market was largely driven by mixed labor data and optimism over a possible interest rate cut following the Federal Reserve’s meeting next week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here ended last week higher, with AI stocks playing a significant role. The NASDAQ and small caps of the Russell 2000 led the way, while the S&P 500 approached a new record high. Information technology, energy, and consumer discretionary outperformed among the market sectors, while health care and utilities lagged. Bonds experienced a challenging week, with Treasury yields climbing over 10 basis points, as a selloff in bonds resulted in a drop in price. The latest inflation data (see below) showed consumer prices were up 0.8 percentage point over the Fed’s 2.0% target. Crude oil prices ticked up as concerns about global oversupply were offset somewhat by ongoing geopolitical tensions and the expectation for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
Market Week: December 1, 2025
The Markets (as of market close November 28, 2025)
Wall Street experienced a strong Thanksgiving week, largely erasing losses from the preceding volatile period. Increasing hopes of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next month helped fuel the rally. After a shaky few weeks, tech stocks surged last week, driving the NASDAQ to its largest weekly gain in quite some time. As more economic data is released following the reopening of the federal government, investors are able to get a better grasp on the state of the economy. For instance, initial job claims fell, while durable goods orders and retail sales rose. However, producer prices also advanced, further evidence of escalating inflationary pressures. Each market sector ended last week with gains, led by consumer discretionary, communication services, materials, and information technology. The yield on 10-year Treasuries continued to slip as growing expectations of a rate cut help push bond prices higher, weighing on yields. Oversupply continued to drag crude oil prices lower.
Market Week: November 24, 2025
The Markets (as of market close November 21, 2025)
Volatility continued to characterize the stock market last week. Wall Street endured significant swings driven by a mix of key corporate earnings reports, important economic data following the government’s reopening, and shifting expectations for the Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here ended the week in the red, unable to recover from a sharp midweek sell-off, despite a rally last Friday. Most of the negative market returns were within the consumer discretionary and information technology sectors. Communication services outperformed last week. Tech shares took a notable downturn last week, despite a favorable earnings report from a major AI/tech giant. The release of the September jobs report (see below), delayed due to the government shutdown, provided mixed signals on the state of the U.S. economy in general and Federal Reserve policy in particular. Better-than-expected job growth was offset by an increase in the unemployment rate, which reinforced the Fed’s dilemma regarding future interest rate cuts. The yield on 10-year Treasuries eased slightly, ending the week down eight basis points. Oversupply concerns drove crude oil prices to a four-week low.
Market Week: November 17, 2025
The Markets (as of market close November 14, 2025)
Last week was marked by the re-opening of the U.S. government after a prolonged shutdown. However,
despite a significant boost to the stock market at the beginning of the week, the positive momentum waned as the week progressed as investors were concerned about high valuation of AI stocks and uncertainty over Federal Reserve policy. The NASDAQ and the Russell 2000 ended the week in the red, while the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Global Dow closed higher. The AI sector, which has been a major market mover for much of the year, experienced significant volatility as investors worried about long-term sustainability. Health care, energy, and materials were market sector gainers, while consumer discretionary and communication services underperformed. Ten-year Treasury yields rose, likely reflecting reduced expectations for another interest rate cut at the next Federal Reserve meeting in December. Crude oil prices moved very little from the prior week as ongoing concerns surrounding increasing U.S. inventories and overproduction weighed on prices.
Market Week: November 10, 2025
The Markets (as of market close November 7, 2025)
The multi-week bull run ended last week, halted by a notable selloff of tech stocks. The NASDAQ
experienced a sharp correction, driven by concerns of overpricing and high valuations, particularly in the
technology sector. The S&P 500 suffered its worst week in a month, while the Russell 2000 and the Dow
also lost value. Most reporting S&P companies have exceeded profit estimates, but a few major companies disappointed, which weighed on market sentiment. Economic uncertainty, exacerbated by the ongoing government shutdown, appeared to further escalate investor concerns. Among the market sectors, information technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary fell the furthest, while health care, real estate, energy, and financials outperformed. Crude oil prices faced downward pressure, resulting in a drop in prices for the second straight week. The fall in crude oil prices was largely influenced by surging U.S. inventories, an increase in production by OPEC+, and a price cut by Saudi Arabia.
Market Week: November 3, 2025
The Markets (as of market close October 31, 2025)
Stocks moved generally higher last week, largely driven by solid corporate earnings from some big tech firms. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ each reached record highs during the week, extending a significant rally. The push higher was moderated somewhat by the Federal Reserve’s cautious stance on future rate cuts. Despite a lack of updated economic information, the Fed identified concerns about the potential for a weakening job market and stubbornly elevated inflation rates. While trade tensions between the U.S. and China were tempered following a meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, analysts cautioned that underlying issues still had not been resolved. Following last week’s interest rate cut, U.S. Treasury yields rose sharply, extending a three-session rally that pushed the 10-year Treasury yield to a three-week high. Despite an early-week rally, crude oil prices dipped lower last week, primarily due to concerns of global oversupply and increased production.