Stock futures rise slightly to begin 2025 after S&P 500 notches back-to-back annual 20%-plus gains

Stock futures rise slightly to begin 2025 after S&P 500 notches back-to-back annual 20%-plus gains


Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on the last day of trading for the year on Dec. 31, 2024 in New York City. 

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Stock futures were slightly higher as trading got underway for 2025, with hopes that the market can regain the momentum that propelled it to log two-straight years of annual gains above 20%.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 67 points, or 2%, while S&P 500 futures added 13 points, or 0.2%. Nasdaq-100 futures rose 56 points, or 0.3%.

Although stocks fell in weak trading in the final days of 2024, the year still produced solid returns. The S&P 500 surged 23% last year, while the 30-stock Dow added nearly 13%. Fueled by the enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and interest rate cuts, the Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 29% advance.

Members of the so-called Magnificent Seven were behind much of the market’s action in 2024. AI chip darling Nvidia notched a 171% gain for the year, while iPhone maker Apple rose 30%. But these big gains led to some profit-taking at the year’s end. The S&P 500 recorded four-straight down days to cap the year — a first since 1966.

All this means, it will be difficult for a “Santa Claus rally” to materialize. That well-known market indicator is usually characterized by rising stocks in the five final days of a calendar year and the first two trading days of January. The broad index rises an average of 1.3% during this period and has finished higher almost 80% of the time, according to Dow Jones market data going back to 1950.

Adding to the pressure, investors may be assessing the impact of a deadly attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that is being investigated as a possible terrorist act. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it’s possible the suspect, who drove a truck into a crowd, wasn’t “solely responsible” for the incident.

The holiday-shortened week has been light on economic data, but Thursday will bring a look at weekly jobless claims that will offer a read on how the labor market is faring.



Source

Canada Goose rises 7% in premarket trading after controlling shareholder gets take-private bids
World

Canada Goose rises 7% in premarket trading after controlling shareholder gets take-private bids

New York-listed shares of Canada Goose rose by nearly 7% in premarketing trading, after a CNBC report that the winter-clothing maker’s controlling shareholder, Bain Capital, has received bids to take the company private. Private equity firm Bain Capital is looking to offload its holding in Canada Goose, sources told CNBC’s Anniek Bao, with Goldman Sachs […]

Read More
European stocks rebound as traders eye Nvidia earnings
World

European stocks rebound as traders eye Nvidia earnings

European markets opened higher Wednesday as traders gear up for a quarterly earnings report from chipmaker Nvidia. The Nasdaq-listed stock has become a bellwether for the global technology sector, particularly regarding the progress of the artificial intelligence boom, as its major corporate customers include Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon. Its value has soared in recent […]

Read More
SpaceX makes comeback with Starship test launch after fiery setbacks
World

SpaceX makes comeback with Starship test launch after fiery setbacks

SpaceX’s Starship rocket lifts off from Starbase, Texas, as seen from South Padre Island on Aug. 26, 2025, for its 10th test flight. Ronaldo Schemidt | Afp | Getty Images SpaceX on Tuesday launched its mammoth Starship rocket, breaking a string of explosive failed attempts earlier this year to deploy its first batch of dummy […]

Read More