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Stocks edged higher on Thursday to kick off the first day of trading of the new year as Wall Street returned from holiday.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) popped 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) hovered near the flatline traders returned from Wednesday’s holiday shutdown.
Markets are eyeing a comeback after a year-end slide to begin the week dented hopes for a “Santa Claus rally.” But the decline capped a blowout 2024 for US stocks that saw the S&P 500 (^GSPC) post two years of over-20% gains in a row — something it hasn’t achieved in almost three decades.
Several Big Tech stocks rose modestly, with shares of Nvidia (NVDA), Amazon (AMZN), and Meta (META) all climbing as optimism around artificial intelligence crept back in. Investors have been debating what role the “Magnificent Seven” stocks will play in powering markets in 2025 after their massive outperformance last year.
Over the holiday week, US mortgage rates rose to 6.97% to reach the highest level since early July, data showed. The gain weighed on applications for home purchases and dented refinancing, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Weekly jobless claims fell to their lowest level since March. Data released by the Department of Labor on Thursday morning showed claims of 211,000, a decrease from the previous week’s upwardly revised level of 220,000.
On the corporate front, Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2% after the iPhone maker offered rare price discounts on its latest models in China, reflecting rising competition from local handset makers. Meanwhile, Alibaba’s (BABA, 9988.HK) stock tipped lower as markets absorbed news the Chinese e-commerce giant will sell its shares in hypermarket chain Sun Art (SURRY, 6808.HK) at a steep discount.
Tesla (TSLA) shares slid more than 6% after the EV maker posted its first decline in annual deliveries on Thursday morning. The stock had risen in pre-market after a Cybertruck exploded in Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing its driver. The FBI is investigating whether the blast outside the Trump International Hotel was an act of terrorism.
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