Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Wall Street finished a light-volume, post-Christmas trading session nearly unchanged on Friday, as investors found little fresh news to drive strong market conviction. After a solid five-session rally, all three major U.S. stock indexes closed slightly lower, marking a pause rather than a reversal, while still securing weekly gains.
Market participants largely attributed the muted movement to holiday-thinned trading and profit-taking following recent strength. According to Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, the market is simply “catching its breath” after a strong rally. He emphasized that the current period still falls within the traditional “Santa Claus rally,” a seasonal trend where the S&P 500 often rises during the final five trading days of the year and the first two sessions of the new year, a window that runs through January 5. Historically, such rallies are viewed as a positive signal for market performance in the year ahead.
Only three trading days remain in what has been a volatile year for U.S. equities. Investors navigated uncertainty driven by tariff concerns, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence-related stocks. Despite these headwinds, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite are all on pace to post double-digit percentage gains for the year, led by the tech-heavy Nasdaq.
On Friday, the Dow slipped 0.04% to 48,710.97, the S&P 500 edged down 0.03% to 6,929.94, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.09% to 23,593.10. Materials stocks led sector gains, while consumer discretionary shares lagged. Year-to-date, communication services, technology, and industrials remain the strongest-performing sectors, with real estate standing out as the only major sector likely to end the year in negative territory.
Individual stocks also drew attention. Nvidia shares rose after the company agreed to license chip technology from startup Groq, while Target climbed on reports of hedge fund activism. Precious metal miners advanced as gold and silver prices hit record highs.
Overall trading volume remained well below average, reinforcing the view that the market’s slight pullback reflects seasonal calm rather than shifting fundamentals, as investors prepare for the final days of the year and look ahead to 2026.
