Today At A Glance:

U.S. equities finished modestly lower on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as investors digested a mixed set of economic signals and recalibrated rate expectations. The session leaned risk-off at times, with energy shares notably pressured alongside weaker crude prices. Tech was mixed, with pockets of strength in several mega-cap names even as broader breadth softened. Treasury yields moved lower as markets weighed the implications of labor-market cooling versus still-firm activity indicators. Overall, the close reflected caution heading into the next wave of inflation- and policy-sensitive headlines.

Today’s Index Performance

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) opened today at 48,380.17 and closed today at 48,452.17, with the percentage change of -0.47%.
• The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) opened today at 22,981.82 and closed today at 23,126.90, with the percentage change of -0.94%.
• The S&P 500 (^GSPC) opened today at 6,800.12 and closed today at 6,819.27, with the percentage change of -0.62%.

Gainers Of Note:

• Zenas BioPharma (ZBIO) (+13.33%) — A clinical-stage biotech focused on autoimmune/immunology; shares moved higher on optimism tied to orelabrutinib development and related trial/regulatory momentum.
• Affirm Holdings (AFRM) (+11.77%) — A buy-now-pay-later and consumer finance platform; strength was supported by upbeat analyst commentary around volumes/funding conditions and raised expectations.
• Sezzle (SEZL) (+10.40%) — A buy-now-pay-later provider; shares advanced amid buyback-related enthusiasm and continued momentum in the BNPL trade.

Losers Of Note:

• PBF Energy (PBF) (-10.86%) — An independent oil refiner; the stock slid as energy names weakened alongside falling crude and softer sentiment across oil-linked equities.
• Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) (-9.29%) — A biopharma company focused on cortisol modulation; shares fell after a negative market reaction tied to new Street coverage/positioning.
• Amkor Technology (AMKR) (-8.43%) — A semiconductor packaging and test services provider; the drop reflected a sharp risk-off move in the name despite no single dominant headline cited in widely-circulated summaries.

Active Traders Of Note:

• Nvidia (NVDA) — A leading AI GPU and accelerated-computing company; heavy volume reflected ongoing positioning in the AI complex and index-heavy trading flow.
• Tesla (TSLA) — An EV and energy-storage manufacturer; elevated volume tracked continued headline sensitivity around autonomous/robotaxi expectations and analyst-driven positioning.
• Apple (AAPL) — A consumer electronics and services leader; active trading reflected broad mega-cap rotation and benchmark-linked flows into the close.

Looking Forward:

Today’s “slightly lower” close reinforces that the market is still trading primarily on macro signals—rates, inflation, and growth—rather than purely on earnings momentum. If yields remain under pressure and inflation data is benign, investors may be quick to rotate back into duration-sensitive growth; if inflation surprises higher, the tape can turn defensive fast. For the next session, expect continued sensitivity to any incremental policy signals, crude/energy price action, and follow-through in the highest-volume mega-cap names.

THIS NEWSLETTER IS PARTNERED WITH ROBINHOOD.COM AND IS FINANCIALLY SPONSORED BY THAT SERVICE.

TO BEGIN YOUR INVESTMENT JOURNEY TODAY, USE THIS LINK TO SET UP YOUR ACCOUNT.