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Dow Closes in the Red as Tech Stocks Surge
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower on Friday, falling 0.2% to 43,828.06, while the S&P 500 index was relatively unchanged at 6,051.09. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.1% to 19,926.72.
Despite the decline in the broader market, Piper Sandler’s chief market technician Craig Johnson remains optimistic about equities, citing "constructive" trends and predicting a strong finish to the year. He also sees the potential for further upside in the coming weeks.
The dollar strengthened against the yen, gaining 0.7% to trade at 153.73, while the euro rose 0.3% against the dollar to 1.05. The South Korean won depreciated 0.4% ahead of the country’s second impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Dan Niles, a tech investor, is less enthusiastic about the "Magnificent 7" stocks, citing lofty valuations and slowing growth. He is instead looking at a broader-based portfolio of stocks.
Market Outlook for 2025
Wall Street strategists are optimistic about the stock market’s prospects in 2025, with the S&P 500 expected to end the year at 6,630, a 9.6% gain from current levels.
Top Performing Stocks
Broadcom surged 20% after beating earnings expectations and announcing custom AI chip developments with three large cloud customers. Tesla gained 2.2% on reports that President-elect Donald Trump’s team recommended ending a car-crash reporting requirement.
New ETFs Hitting the Market
GraniteShares launched a 2x Long SMCI Daily ETF (SMCL), offering daily exposure to Super Micro Computer. Teucrium also launched two new leveraged ETFs: the 2x Daily Corn ETF (CXRN) and 2x Daily Wheat ETF (WXET).
Inflation and Interest Rates
Former Dallas Fed president Robert Kaplan said he sees a slower pace of rate cutting from the Federal Reserve, citing inflation that "looks a little stuck." He emphasized the importance of workforce growth and fiscal responsibility.
Stock Market Movers
PayPal was upgraded by Wolfe Research, citing strong fourth-quarter results and a conservative 2025 guide. The stock is up 40% this year.
Asian markets were lower, with Chinese stocks leading the losses, as affirmations from Beijing on its economic policies fell short of investors’ expectations.
