The U.S. stock market has opened to a mixed performance this Friday, December 26, 2025, as traders return from the extended Christmas holiday break. Following a full market closure on Christmas Day and an early close on Christmas Eve, both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq have resumed normal trading hours, from 9:30 AM ET to 4:00 PM ET. Despite a slight pullback in futures earlier in the morning, major indexes are showing cautious movements, building on a robust performance seen earlier in the week.
Major Market Indexes Performance
In early trading on Friday, the S&P 500 (SPX) edged up 0.1%, maintaining a modest gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was largely unchanged, hovering fractionally lower, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (COMP) rose 0.2%. This mixed open follows a strong showing on Wednesday, December 24th, when U.S. stock markets closed higher for the fifth consecutive day, largely driven by momentum in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) surged 0.6%, or 288.75 points, to close at a new record high of 48,731.16. The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) also finished strong, up 0.2% at 23,613.31, propelled by significant gains in AI-related companies. The S&P 500 (SPX) gained 0.3% to reach a new all-time closing high of 6,932.05, even touching a fresh intraday record of 6,937.32. This positive momentum leading into the holiday period has fueled discussions around the continuation of the "Santa Claus rally," a historical trend often observed in the last five trading days of December and the first two of the new year.
Upcoming Market Events
The economic calendar for Friday, December 26th, remains relatively light, typical for a holiday-shortened week. However, investors did receive some recent economic data. The Department of Labor reported that initial jobless claims for the week ended December 24th decreased by 10,000 to 214,000, coming in lower than the consensus estimate of 221,000. Continuing claims for the week ended December 13th, however, saw an increase of 38,000 to 1.923 million.
Looking ahead to next week, market participants will be closely watching several key economic releases. These include the Case-Shiller Home Price Index for October and the Pending Home Sales for November. Additionally, the official minutes from the December Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting are scheduled for release next Tuesday, which will provide deeper insights into the Federal Reserve's discussions surrounding its recent 25-basis-point interest rate cut. Further out, the December Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report is slated for January 9, 2026, and the December U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released on January 13, 2026, both critical indicators for future monetary policy. No major corporate earnings releases are expected this week.
Key Company News and Stock Movers
Several major public companies are making headlines today, influencing individual stock movements:
Nvidia (NVDA) shares saw a slight dip of 0.3% in early Friday trading, despite news of a significant strategic move. The semiconductor giant is reportedly planning to acquire key assets from Groq, a designer of high-performance AI accelerator chips, in a substantial $20 billion all-cash deal. This acquisition underscores Nvidia's aggressive push to solidify its dominance in the rapidly expanding AI inference market. By midday, Nvidia shares had rebounded, showing a gain of 1.1%.
Nike Inc. (NKE) continues its upward trajectory, with shares surging 4.6% on Wednesday after it was disclosed that Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook, a member of Nike's board, purchased $3 million worth of the company's stock. This positive sentiment carried into Friday's premarket trading, with shares up 0.5% in recent trading.
Dynavax Technologies Corp. (DVAX) experienced a remarkable jump of 38.2% on Wednesday after pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (SNY) announced its decision to acquire Dynavax in a deal valued at approximately $2.2 billion.
Conversely, Intel Corp. (INTC) shares fell 0.5% on Wednesday following reports that Nvidia (NVDA) has ceased testing manufacturing chips using Intel's 18A production process.
Other notable movements include Micron Technology Inc. (MU), which was a significant gainer on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, rising 3.8%. Snowflake (SNOW) is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire AI-native observability startup Observe for around $1 billion, marking a strategic expansion into application monitoring. Prudential Financial (PRU) shares have also seen a rebound after a six-session decline, bolstered by stabilizing market sentiment and a planned share buyback program of up to $1 billion starting in 2026. In the automotive sector, DENSO Corporation (DNZOY) and MediaTek Inc. (2454.TW) have signed a joint development agreement to accelerate the creation of next-generation automotive system-on-chips (SoCs), signaling continued innovation in smart vehicle technology.
Broader Market Trends
Beyond individual stocks, several broader market indicators are also in play. Gold and silver prices have continued their impressive run, surging to new record highs, reflecting ongoing investor demand for safe-haven assets amidst global uncertainties. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures, which were trending higher earlier this morning, saw a slight dip in early Friday trading. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield ticked lower to 4.12% in recent trading, while Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was trading around $89,000. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often referred to as the "fear gauge," was down 3.8% on Wednesday, indicating a decrease in market apprehension.
As the year draws to a close, trading volumes are expected to remain light, but investors will be keen to see if the positive momentum from earlier in the week can sustain through the final trading sessions of 2025.
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.