Weekly Stock Market Update | Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ News – January 04, 2026

This week in the stock market, market indices posted mixed results with S&P 500 and Dow Jones showing slight declines on Wednesday but wrapping 2025 with impressive gains. The S&P 500 fell by 0.74% to close at 6,845.50 on Wednesday while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 303.77 points, settling at 48,063.29. The Nasdaq Composite also fell by 0.76% ending at 23,241.99. Despite these slight declines, the indices wrapped 2025 with double-digit gains; S&P 500 by 16.39%, Nasdaq by 20.36%, and Dow Jones by 12.97%.

As for company-specific stocks, tech giant Alphabet and AI chip heavyweight Nvidia were among the main gainers in 2025, rising by 65% and 39% respectively. However, the week saw a decline in Tesla shares following the company’s lower than expected Q4 deliveries. In contrast, Ondas Inc saw an impressive rise of over 20% this week, closing Friday at $11.02 credited to the company’s rebranding and headquarters move.

Other stocks like Salesforce, CrowdStrike, Palantir Technologies, and Microsoft pulled back, marking them as among the week’s losers. Notably, many strategists worry about potential volatility in 2026 due to corporate earnings growth needing to catch up with lofty multiples.

As for commodities, Gold and Silver delivered their best performance since 1979, with Silver prices more than doubling. Bitcoin also hit a record high, however, it fell by more than 30% subsequently. The AI trade remained a significant power in the market, contributing to a third-straight double-digit gain for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq in 2025.

The outlook for 2026 holds optimism, with all Wall Street forecasters tracked by Bloomberg predicting an overall rally for the fourth consecutive year. However, this prediction also comes with the potential risk that the AI boom could falter or the economy could surprise in the other direction. Furthermore, the division gripping the Federal Reserve, the fate of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, the AI boom, and the US president remain significant wildcard factors.

Despite a few bumps in the healthcare sector with GE HealthCare and Avantor struggling, UnitedHealth Group continues to thrive in the industry. The former’s stock is currently trading at $83.10 per share with a market cap of $37.36 billion, while Avantor’s shares are valued at $11.46 each, representing a market cap of $7.81 billion. Amid a competitive market, UnitedHealth Group, valued at $299 billion, remains a strong healthcare stock, serving over 100 million people through its health insurance and healthcare services division, Optum.

Entering into the new year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was leading the path upwards with an increase of 319 points, or 0.66%. The S&P 500 also saw a gain of 0.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite stayed relatively flat. Investors will be keeping a close eye on forthcoming jobs data, with the December jobs report anticipated to reveal slowed hiring in comparison to November’s job increases. The unemployment rate, which hit a four-year high of 4.6% in November, is predicted to drop by 0.1%.

In other financial news, Warren Buffett departed from his position as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, leaving Greg Abel as his successor. Under Buffett’s leadership, the company had managed to deliver a cumulative return of over 5.5 million percent to shareholders. Concerns have been raised around Abel’s suitability to make investment decisions due to his lack of a public track record as a stock picker.

Finally, while the US airline industry is witnessing a class divide with some airlines pushing premium offerings and others battling bankruptcy, Stellantis announced it intends to bring back its gas-powered Ram pickup truck equipped with a V-8 engine. The truck, tagged at roughly $100,000, is expected to be available later this year.