U.S. stocks end lower to snap 5-day winning streak amid thin holiday trading
Major Indices | The S&P 500 closed down 0.03%...
Major Indices | The S&P 500 closed down 0.03% at 6,929.94, though it reached a new intraday high of 6,945.77 earlier in the session. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.09% to close at 23,593.10, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.19 points, or 0.04%, settling at 48,710.97.
Weekly Performance Despite today's modest declines, the S&P 500 posted a strong weekly gain of 1.4%, marking its fourth weekly advance in five weeks. Both the Dow and Nasdaq also gained more than 1% for the week.
Market Context Trading volume was light today as markets reopened after Christmas Day. Analysts noted that with limited corporate earnings reports and economic data during this period, trading was primarily driven by technical factors and positioning. The session fell within the traditional "Santa Claus rally" period.
Commodities Gold futures hit a new all-time intraday high of $4,579.60 per ounce, heading for its 54th record close in 2025. Silver futures also reached a new all-time intraday high of $76.15 per ounce.
With just three trading sessions remaining in 2025, the S&P 500 is approaching the 7,000 milestone, sitting about 1% below that level.
The White House has ordered US military forces around Venezuela to ’quarantine’ Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, just as the US Coast Guard lamented that it lacks forces to enforce a full blockade after a botched seizure of Bella 1.
Geopolitics Lifts Oil Prices in Thin Holiday Trading
The festive Christmas lull in oil trading saw oil prices post a weekly...
The festive Christmas lull in oil trading saw oil prices post a weekly gain as geopolitical tensions helped push ICE Brent above the $62 per barrel mark. Venezuela and the potential choking of its heavy crude production remains the No. 1 topic, but the U.S. strikes on Nigeria could open up a new front of bullishness.
Senators probing data center impact on power bills
A trio of Democratic senators is examining whether the rapid expansion...
A trio of Democratic senators is examining whether the rapid expansion of AI-focused data centers is contributing to higher residential electricity bills by shifting grid upgrade costs onto households. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut believe utilities may be spreading infrastructure expenses across all customers as energy use from AI is set to climb sharply. The probe comes amid debate over how much large technology firms should pay for the energy systems they rely on.
ExxonMobil using stackable technologies to boost oil recovery
ExxonMobil is deploying stackable technologies in its Permian Basin operations,...
ExxonMobil is deploying stackable technologies in its Permian Basin operations, rather than relying on a single innovation. The company is integrating more than 40 proprietary technologies, including petcoke proppant and advanced data analytics for well-spacing optimization, to cumulatively improve efficiency and resource recovery. This approach, which extends from the wellhead through refining and chemical processing, aims to double resource recovery rates and significantly reduce costs.
