Stock Market Summary – December 30, 2025

1. Rosenblatt Securities and Wedbush believe that stocks for CrowdStrike, Apple, and Microsoft will continue rising in 2026 because of their investments in artificial intelligence. They also predict growth for Meta Platforms following its acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based developer of AI agents. While Rosenblatt predicts a 70% increase in Meta’s shares following the acquisition, Wedbush advises that shares in tech firms Apple, Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Palantir, and Tesla will increase as demand for AI technology grows.

2. The Federal Reserve recently voted 9-3 to approve a quarter percentage point cut in interest rates, despite some misgivings about the aggressiveness of future adjustments. The Federal Open Market Committee lowered the key funds rate to a range of 3.5%-3.75%. Economic projections from the meeting’s 19 officials forecast an additional rate cut in 2026 and another in 2027 – predictions that pushed traders to bet on another Fed cut in April.

3. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against several Iranian and Venezuelan groups connected with exporting weapons between the two nations. The measures target a Venezuelan company, Empresa Aeronautica Nacional, and three Iran-based individuals. The department asserted that Iran’s provision of arms to Caracas poses a threat to U.S. interests.

4. In midday trading, some key movers include Molina Healthcare, Intel, and OceanFirst Financial Group. Molina gained roughly 4%, Intel experienced an over 3% increase after Nvidia disclosed Intel share purchases worth $5 billion, and OceanFirst tumbled by 6% after revealing its merger plans with Flushing Financial Corp. Boeing shares also rose by almost 2% after securing an $8.58 billion contract with the U.S. Air Force.

5. Some stocks performed well in 2025 despite difficulties encountered by some tech giants, according to Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. Investors reportedly rotated out of struggling names into pockets of strength in different sectors.

6. Analysts believe there are still opportunities for growth in 2026 in stocks such as Advanced Micro Devices and CVS Health, both of which experienced drastic turnaround in fortunes in 2025. AMD, which fell by 18% in 2024, experienced around 80% growth this year. Similar growth was seen by CVS, which fell by 43% in 2024, but experienced 77% increase in value this year.

7. Silver prices have been fluctuating, causing significant swings in the market. The metal saw its most significant intraday swing in over five years. Other key market stories include an acquisition for Meta, a banner year for GM, and the wild ride for silver.