Today At A Glance:

U.S. equities closed higher in a light, post-Christmas trading session, with thin volumes amplifying modest moves across the major indexes. Investors leaned risk-on, extending the year-end “Santa rally” narrative as technology and consumer discretionary names attracted incremental buying. The Nasdaq outperformed as mega-cap growth stocks benefited from reduced selling pressure and portfolio rebalancing. Defensive sectors lagged slightly, reflecting a continued preference for growth over protection in the final full trading week of the year. Overall participation was subdued, but the tone remained constructive heading into year-end positioning.

Today’s Index Performance:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) — The Dow opened today near 48,210 and closed at approximately 48,395, posting a gain of about +0.38% as industrials and select financials edged higher in holiday-thinned trade.
• S&P 500 (^GSPC) — The S&P 500 opened around 6,865 and finished near 6,910, up roughly +0.65%, supported by strength in technology and consumer discretionary components.
• Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) — The Nasdaq opened close to 23,420 and closed near 23,585, a rise of approximately +0.70%, as large-cap tech continued to attract late-year inflows.

Gainers Of Note:

• Tesla (TSLA) — Tesla advanced as investors repositioned into high-beta growth names during the holiday rally, aided by strong options activity and ongoing optimism around autonomous and AI-related initiatives.
• NVIDIA (NVDA) — NVIDIA moved higher in quiet trade as dip-buyers returned to AI leaders, with no new headlines but continued confidence in long-term data-center demand.
• Deckers Outdoor (DECK) — Shares climbed on continued momentum following a strong holiday shopping season narrative and expectations for resilient consumer demand into early 2026.

Losers Of Note:

• Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) — Walgreens slipped as investors remained cautious on brick-and-mortar pharmacy margins and reimbursement pressure despite the broader market’s upbeat tone.
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) — Exxon edged lower as crude prices softened, weighing on energy stocks in an otherwise positive session.
• Intel (INTC) — Intel declined modestly amid continued skepticism around its competitive positioning and longer-term turnaround timeline.

Active Traders Of Note:

• Apple (AAPL) — Apple saw elevated volume as a core year-end rebalancing name, with institutions adjusting mega-cap exposure before calendar year close.
• Amazon (AMZN) — Amazon traded actively as investors assessed early reads on holiday e-commerce demand and logistics efficiency.
• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) — AMD posted heavy turnover as traders positioned around expectations for competitive AI and data-center product updates in 2026.

Looking Forward:

Friday’s advance reinforces the seasonal tendency toward upside bias during the final trading days of the year, though low liquidity means moves can reverse quickly. As 2025 draws to a close, investors are increasingly focused on tax-loss harvesting, portfolio rebalancing, and setting sector exposure for early-2026 themes such as AI monetization and rate-cut timing. The next session is likely to remain volume-light, with outsized moves more likely to come from positioning flows than fundamental news.

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