Stock Market News

Stock Market News

Equities Close Mixed Ahead of Key Inflation Data
U.S. benchmark equity indexes ended Monday's trading session mixed as investors awaited December's official inflation data and key bank earnings reports later in the week.

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Rose 0.9% to 42,297.1
• S&P 500: Gained 0.2% to 5,836.2
• Nasdaq Composite: Fell 0.4% to 19,088.1

Sector Performance:

• Energy and materials led the gainers, with energy climbing 2.25%, the biggest daily gain among the 11 major S&P sectors.
• Utilities were the weakest sector, declining the most among S&P 500 groups.

Key Stock Movers:

• UnitedHealth Group (+3.93%): Boosted the Dow, driven by Biden's proposed Medicare Advantage reimbursement rate increase of 2.2%.
• Humana (+6.8%): A top gainer on the S&P 500 after Wells Fargo raised its price target to $337 from $315.
• Edison International (-12%): Slumped after a lawsuit alleged the company’s equipment ignited wildfires in Southern California.
• Moderna (-17%): Dropped after slashing its 2025 sales forecast by $1 billion.
• Chip Stocks: Nvidia (-1.97%) and Micron (-4.31%) slid after the U.S. government announced tighter restrictions on artificial intelligence chip exports.

Market Breadth and Volume:

• Declining issues outpaced advancers by a 1.02-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and 1.4-to-1 on the Nasdaq.
• The S&P 500 posted 3 new 52-week highs and 23 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 23 new highs and 252 new lows.
• Volume on U.S. exchanges was 14.88 billion shares, below the 15.73 billion 20-day average.