Market Wobbles on New Year’s Eve Eve

The S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.35%) lost 0.35% today, landing at 6,905.74 like a tired astronaut collapsing into a beanbag chair. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.50%) followed suit, down 0.50% to 23,474.35. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) tripped over its own shoelaces, shedding 0.51% to 48,461.93. Markets resemble a party where the champagne is flat but everyone’s still wearing paper hats.

Market movers

Big Tech’s robot overlords took a coffee break. Nvidia (NVDA 1.19%) and Palantir (PLTR 2.40%) stumbled as investors whispered, “What have you done for me lately?” Gold miners like Newmont (NEM 5.64%) plunged 5%-the precious metal’s midlife crisis continues. So it goes.

What this means for investors

The Santa Claus rally coughed up a lung. Yet the S&P 500 still grins like a jackpot winner with 17.4% gains. The Nasdaq winks with 21.6%. Investors are trimming trees, not burning down forests. Jeremy Siegel of Wharton says the Magnificent Seven might trip on their own capes in 2026. Goldman Sachs shrugs: “The Fed’s punch bowl isn’t empty yet.”

Gold bugs watched spot prices dive 4.4% to $4,349.30. Freeport-McMoRan (FCX 3.04%) and Newmont join a growing list of miners wondering if they’ve dug too deep. So it goes.

Markets are a roulette wheel with a bias toward optimism. We bet on algorithms and central banks like gamblers betting their last chip on red. The house always wins, but the drinks are free. 🎩🚀

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2025-12-30 01:42