Wed Dec 24 13:10:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Stocks Steady After S&P 500 Hits Record High, Investors Eye ‘Santa Claus Rally’
New York – Stock futures remained largely unchanged Wednesday morning after the S&P 500 achieved a new record closing high on Tuesday. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped slightly, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures traded near the flatline.
The S&P 500 ended Tuesday’s session up approximately 0.5%, closing at a record 6,909.79. The Nasdaq Composite gained around 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added approximately 79 points, or nearly 0.2%. The surge was fueled by tech giants like Alphabet, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Amazon.
A revised third-quarter GDP reading of 4.3%, surpassing expectations, initially tempered hopes for early interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. However, futures trading still suggests the possibility of two rate cuts by the end of 2026.
Investors are now focused on the potential “Santa Claus Rally,” the year-end market surge that historically occurs between the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the new year. LPL Financial notes that the S&P 500 has historically averaged a 1.3% return during this period, with positive results 78% of the time. “Momentum heading into year-end suggests a favorable setup for a positive Santa Claus Rally — a historically bullish signal for January and the year ahead,” said Adam Turnquist, LPL Financial chief technical strategist.
Weekly jobless claims released Wednesday morning were lower than expected, totaling 214,000.
Citi analysts have highlighted stocks like Cboe Global Markets, Micron Technology, and First Solar as potentially showing impressive returns with low volatility in the coming year.
The New York Stock Exchange will close early on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET and remain closed Thursday for Christmas Day.
First Piper 