Stock Market

Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq nudge higher after Dow’s rally to record


US stocks tipped higher on Tuesday, with investors continuing to weigh US moves on Venezuela as they brace for a flurry of fresh data this week to shed light on the health of the economy.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) climbed 0.3% on the heels of Monday’s record-setting gain for the blue-chip index.

Markets are regrouping after energy stocks outperformed in the wake of the US ouster of Venezuela’s President Maduro. The likes of Chevron (CVX) rose slightly in early trading, while Halliburton (HAL) shares traded flat, consolidating the previous day’s solid gains. President Trump suggested the US may subsidize oil majors that invest in developing the country’s oil infrastructure, after his administration held talks with multiple companies about rebuilding.

A fresh record for the Dow is still in reach, even amid a pullback in bank stocks that lifted the blue chip-focused benchmark on Monday. A historic break above 50,000 is in play.

In addition, Wall Street has set aside AI hopes while it assesses Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD’s (AMD) competing roadmaps, laid out at CES in Las Vegas. CEO Jensen Huang launched Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin AI superchip platform, followed by AMD CEO Lisa Su’s first look at its rival Helios system. Eyes will be on updates from Intel (INTC), Qualcomm (QCOM), and other tech stalwarts as the marquee tech event continues this week.

Meanwhile, the focus is starting to turn to a flurry of jobs market and other data this week, as the flow of economic reports gets back on track. On Tuesday, the final reading of S&P Global’s Services PMI for the month of December showed the US services sector growing at its slowest pace in eight months.

The shutdown-induced dearth of data in recent months has made it trickier to gauge how the Federal Reserve will move on interest rates this year. Chair Jerome Powell has signaled policymakers will tread carefully until the picture of the labor market is clearer. That has made the December jobs report due Friday even more crucial than usual.

In commodities, copper (HG=F) continued to surge after breaking above $13,000 a ton for the first time, hitting another fresh record as worries about potential Trump tariffs spur stockpiles in the US, leaving the rest of the world short.

LIVE 12 updates

  • Laura Bratton

    HVAC stocks fall as Nvidia’s new AI platform could reduce demand for some cooling systems in data centers

    HVAC companies Johnson Controls (JCI), Trane Technologies (TT), and Carrier Global (CARR) saw their stocks drop on Tuesday amid investor concerns that Nvidia’s (NVDA) latest Vera Rubin AI systems could potentially reduce data centers’ demand for their offerings.

    Commentary from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at CES in Las Vegas on Monday suggested that Vera Rubin will use liquid cooling rather than cooling systems offered by traditional HVAC companies — representing a potential headwind for those businesses.

    Read more from Investing.com.

  • Laura Bratton

    S&P US Services PMI shows sector grew at slowest pace in 8 months in December

    Fresh economic data on Tuesday showed the US services sector — which employs the majority of Americans — growing at its slowest pace in eight months during December.

    S&P Global’s US Services PMI came in at 52.5 in December, below the preliminary reading of 52.9 earlier that month, which was expected to remain unchanged by economists tracked by Bloomberg.

    The initial Services PMI reading in mid-December had already shown the index hitting a six-month low, and Tuesday’s reading marked a further slowdown. The index reflects changes in businesses’ costs, employment, and demand. A reading above 50 signals expansion in the services sector, while one below that figure indicates contraction.

    “Confidence has been dampened principally by uncertainty over government policy and the broader economic outlook, with tariffs and affordability featuring as common threads throughout companies’ more cautious views on their prospects,” wrote Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

  • Laura Bratton

    Stocks muted at the open

    US stocks stalled at the market open on Tuesday after broad gains on Monday that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) surpass 49,000 for the first time.

    The Dow was roughly flat following the previous session’s record-setting gain. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) also hovered around the flat line, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) nudged up 0.3%.

    Investors are awaiting fresh economic data, with Tuesday marking the final S&P Global reading on US services activity in December, set for release at 9:45 a.m. ET.

  • Oklo stock rises another 6% on Energy Department enrichment investment

    Oklo (OKLO) stock extended its nearly 15% gain from Monday, rising another 6% in premarket trading, after the US Department of Energy announced a $2.7 billion investment to strengthen domestic uranium enrichment over the next 10 years.

    The investment signaled the administration’s focus on nuclear energy, which has been a key development for the unprofitable small nuclear reactor company. Over the past year, Oklo stock has risen 227%.

    “Today’s awards show that this Administration is committed to restoring a secure domestic nuclear fuel supply chain capable of producing the nuclear fuels needed to power the reactors of today and the advanced reactors of tomorrow,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who previously served on Oklo’s board of directors, said in a statement.

    A House subcommittee on energy also said on Monday it would be holding a hearing on Wednesday to “discuss the licensing, deployment and implementation of recently enacted federal laws and administration policies in nuclear energy.”

    Because the Santa Clara-based company is pre-revenue, regulatory milestones and hurdles remain critical to its commercial timelines.

  • Jenny McCall

    Good morning. Here’s what’s happening today.

  • Why Big Oil has a long road ahead in Venezuela

    US oil major stocks such as ExxonMobil (XOM), ConocoPhillips (COP), and Chevron (CVX), the only US oil company left operating in Venezuela, added to their gains on Tuesday morning after surging on Monday following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

    Yahoo Finance’s Jake Conley reports:

    Read more here.

  • Nvidia’s $4 trillion stock rally faces more threats than ever

    Bloomberg reports:

    Read more here.

  • Jenny McCall

    Premarket trending tickers: Vistra, Novo, Microchip Technology, and Under Armour

    Vistra (VST) stock rose 4% premarket on Tuesday following the news it had agreed to buy Cogentrix Energy for $4.7 billion amid surging power demand for AI data centers.

    Novo Nordisk (NVO) stock climbed almost 5% before the bell on Tuesday after the company announced on Monday that patients will now be able to purchase the lowest doses of its Wegovy pill for $149 per month in the US starting in April.

    Microchip Technology (MCHP) stock rose 4% during premarket trading after the tech company raised its forecasts for third quarter net sales on Monday.

    Under Armour (UAA) shares rose almost 3%, after a filing revealed that Fairfax Financial Holdings (FFH.TO) owned just under 42 million shares, representing a 22% stake in the company.

  • Chinese stocks rally to four-year high in strong start to 2026

    China’s major stock markets climbed to multiyear highs on Tuesday as optimism over homegrown AI development continued to build amid signs of economic growth.

    The benchmark CSI 300 Index (000300.SS) advanced 1.6% to reach its highest close since January 2022. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite Index (000001.SS) rose 1.5% to its strongest level in over a decade, with tech and materials names among best performers.

    Asian stocks more broadly are having their best-ever start to a year, with currencies and bonds also making gains as investors hunt out investments beyond the US.

    Bloomberg reports:

    Read more here.

  • AMD CEO Lisa Su reveals plans to take on Nvidia in AI race for 2026

    Yahoo Finance’s Daniel Howley reports:

    Read more here.

  • Copper blasts past $13,000 in record-setting rally

    Bloomberg reports:

    Read more here.

  • Nvidia announces Vera Rubin, the next-generation superchip, at CES 2026

    Yahoo Finance’s Daniel Howley reports:

    Read more here.



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