As we near the end of another excellent year for the broad U.S. stock market, it is time to show a list of the best performers in the S&P 500, but also to put the market's gains into some perspective.
Home prices increased, but sales are still projected to rise in 2026, many households could see higher winter heating bills, Trump Media launches five “America First” ETFs, and more news to start your day.
It's been a strong year for US stocks, with the top-performing S&P 500 companies delivering remarkable gains fueled by AI-driven demand, commodity surges, and domestic manufacturing and trade policy tailwinds. The storage and memory sector, including SanDisk, Western Digital, Seagate, and Micron, was among the year's top performers due to increased investment in AI hardware.
Valuation indicators now are extremely bearish for U.S. stocks. Non-U.S. stocks are a much better bet.
Samantha LaDuc has nailed some big calls on stocks in recent years. She sees another S&P 500 high coming in 2026, but an unhappy Main Street.
The article forecasts the S&P 500 to grind higher in 2026, targeting a year-end level of 7,465, or ~7% growth. Structural support from passive fund flows and accommodative US government fiscal policy are expected to offset economic and deleveraging headwinds.
The S&P 500 rose to a fresh intraday record on Friday and notched a winning week. Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed over the weekend as a major winter storm hit the Northeast U.S.
Steven Orr from Quasar Markets thinks the bull market will continue in 2026, sees A.I. continuing to rally and investment strategies for the new year.
The Christmas week kicked off with some Big Tech tailwinds , though gains were kept in check as traders flocked to safe-haven assets.
The S&P 500 hit a record high on Wednesday, with broad gains across sectors supporting the main indexes during a shortened Christmas Eve session.
In Wednesday's half-day of trading, Kevin Hincks looks at the latest weekly Jobless Claims and MBA Mortgage Application data, and what it could mean for the overall economy. Gold and Silver futures continue to rally, while crude is rebounding as the U.S. sends more troops to the Caribbean in an escalation with Venezuela.
8:15am: Markets wind down US stock futures were treading water early Wednesday, with contracts tied to the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all hovering just below the flatline as Wall Street eases into a holiday-shortened session. That quiet start comes after a strong run.