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Federal Reserve 31 December 2025 - 2 January 2026

Dow Jones today: Dow futures rise as 2026 trading begins, with jobs data and Fed path in focus

Dow Jones today: Dow futures rise as 2026 trading begins, with jobs data and Fed path in focus

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed higher on Friday, signaling a steadier start to 2026 after Wall Street slid in the final sessions of last year. At 5:45 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 171 points, or 0.35%, while S&P 500 E-minis gained 41.5 points and Nasdaq 100 E-minis added 267 points. Analysts at Deutsche Bank cautioned the first trading day has been a poor guide to how the year ultimately plays out. Reuters
2026 stock market forecast: After 2025’s rally, Wall Street sees earnings, Fed cuts and AI spending as the big tests

2026 stock market forecast: After 2025’s rally, Wall Street sees earnings, Fed cuts and AI spending as the big tests

After three straight years of double-digit gains, U.S. stocks enter 2026 with strategists saying profit growth and the path for interest rates will decide whether the rally can extend. For another year of outsized returns, markets need “everything firing on all cylinders,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, who put his end-2026 target for the S&P 500 at 7,400, about 8% above current levels. Tajinder Dhillon, head of earnings research at LSEG, said S&P 500 earnings are projected to rise more than 15% in 2026 after about 13% in 2025, while some banks such as Deutsche Bank have flagged double-digit upside even as they warn that heavy AI spending and Fed leadership uncertainty could test investor confidence. Reuters
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