The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was up 86.13 points (0.1740%) today, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, as investors digested fresh economic data and the initial wave of Q4 corporate earnings. The market's primary narrative revolved around the release of the December Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which matched economists' expectations with a 2.7% year-over-year rise, while the "core" CPI, excluding volatile food and energy, came in at 2.6%. This alignment with forecasts helped alleviate some inflation concerns, contributing to the Dow's positive movement. Concurrently, the kickoff of bank earnings season, with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reporting mixed results, also captured market attention.
Beyond economic figures, policy announcements from President Trump introduced sector-specific volatility. His threat of 25% tariffs on countries engaging in business with Iran and a proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates particularly impacted financial stocks. Additionally, news of a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell continued to be a backdrop, though markets largely recovered from initial jitters related to this development.
Among the Dow's components, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) led the gainers, rising 2.89%. Walmart (WMT) also saw a significant increase of 2.86%, partly attributed to news of its inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index. IBM (IBM) rounded out the top three performers with a 2.58% advance. Conversely, financial giant American Express (AXP) was the biggest loser, declining 4.29%, likely pressured by the proposed credit card interest rate cap. Disney (DIS) fell 2.56%, and Visa (V) dropped 1.76%, also feeling the impact of potential policy changes affecting the credit card industry.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.