New York, January 14, 2026, 10:03 EST — Regular session
- Dow-tracking DIA slips roughly 0.2% in early trading, mirroring the Dow’s decline
- Bank earnings alongside inflation data keep the spotlight on when rate cuts might come
- Investors await additional earnings reports and the Fed’s meeting scheduled for late January
The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) dipped $1.10, roughly 0.2%, to $490.84 during Wednesday’s morning session, following a retreat in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Other U.S. equity benchmarks also fell, with SPY shedding about 0.5% and QQQ dropping close to 1.0%. 1
The early drop is weighing on an index that had been nearing record highs, as investors shift their attention from macro news to earnings reports. The Dow slipped 0.8% Tuesday, with financials drawing attention as results and outlooks started rolling in. 2
Inflation figures haven’t shifted the rate debate. December’s consumer price index climbed 0.3%, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous year. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, nudged up 0.2% monthly and 2.6% annually. 3
Bank of America topped profit estimates for the fourth quarter, boosted by stronger trading results, yet its shares dipped in early trading. CEO Brian Moynihan expressed confidence in “further economic growth” and said the bank stays “bullish on the U.S. economy in 2026.” The lender also projected a 7% rise in first-quarter net interest income. 4
Wells Fargo fell short of profit and interest income estimates, sending shares lower after the bank recorded $612 million in severance costs related to layoffs. CFO Mike Santomassimo highlighted stable consumer activity, noting, “the cash flow, the spending levels, the credit performance has all been quite good so far,” despite the bank’s forecast of roughly $50 billion in net interest income for 2026. 5
Citigroup beat Wall Street profit forecasts, fueled by a rebound in dealmaking that pushed investment banking fees up 35% to $1.29 billion. CEO Jane Fraser noted “significant progress” in 2025, despite a Russia-related charge tied to the approved sale of its local unit weighing on results. 6
The Census Bureau reported U.S. retail and food services sales climbed 0.6% in November, reaching $735.9 billion. That’s a 3.3% increase compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, October’s figure was revised down to a 0.1% drop.
Producer prices edged up moderately in November. The producer price index for final demand climbed 0.2% that month and showed a 3.0% rise over the past year, largely propelled by a surge in energy costs boosting goods prices. 7
DIA aims to follow the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a price-weighted index of 30 major U.S. firms. This setup means that sudden swings in the highest-priced stocks can have an outsized impact, sometimes more than their overall market value would indicate. 8
The risk for the Dow and its trackers lies in earnings season becoming a confidence test: just a few weak forecasts from major financials or industrial leaders could overshadow “good enough” macro data. On top of that, any fresh inflation surprises might push expected rate cuts further down the road, a shift that usually hits bank and cyclical stocks hard and quickly.
Investors now turn their attention to the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting set for January 27-28. They’re also watching the producer-price report due January 30, followed by the next CPI release on February 11. 9
