The Dow Jones Index (^DJI) was up 96.64 (0.1956%) points today, reaching 49,491.80, while Dow Futures (YM=F) was up 125.00 (0.2527%) points. The market showed surprising resilience throughout the session, successfully reversing earlier losses triggered by a "stagflationary" data dump that combined weakening economic growth with persistent price pressures across the domestic economy and supply chains.
The dominant narrative centered on the Bureau of Economic Analysis report showing Q4 2025 GDP growth at just 1.4%, a sharp decline from the previous quarter’s 4.4% expansion. This significant miss was compounded by the Core PCE Price Index—the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric—accelerating to 3.0% annually, exceeding the 2.9% forecast. Additionally, traders monitored a Supreme Court decision striking down certain Presidential tariffs and escalating U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions, which kept volatility high for global investors.
Tech-heavy and industrial components outperformed despite these macro headwinds. Amazon (AMZN) was the standout gainer, up 2.31% to $209.32, while 3M (MMM) rose 1.72% and Salesforce (CRM) gained 1.50%. Other notable climbers included Honeywell (HON), up 1.06%, and Caterpillar (CAT), which rose 0.90%. Home Depot (HD) and Cisco (CSCO) also posted gains of 0.89% and 0.84% respectively. On the downside, defensive and energy stocks bore the brunt of growth concerns. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was down 2.03%, Walmart (WMT) was down 2.00%, and Chevron (CVX) was down 0.96% as oil prices fluctuated near $66.62. UnitedHealth (UNH) also struggled, down 0.81%, as investors rotated away from healthcare.
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.