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Federal Reserve News 31 December 2025 - 2 January 2026

Dow Jones today: Caterpillar, Boeing lift blue chips as investors eye jobs report and Fed path

Dow Jones today: Caterpillar, Boeing lift blue chips as investors eye jobs report and Fed path

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 13:36 ET — Regular session The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 78.93 points, or 0.16%, at 48,142.22 in early afternoon trading on Friday, after swinging between 47,853.04 and 48,275.63. Investing The muted rise matters because it is the first full trading session of 2026, and Wall Street is trying to steady after a late-December slide. Investors are also recalibrating expectations for interest rates after the market’s year-end “Santa Claus rally” — a seasonal tendency for stocks to rise into early January — failed to gain traction. Traders are now looking to next week’s U.S.
2 January 2026
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Salesforce (CRM) stock slides 3% today, weighing on Dow as traders eye jobs data and Fed path

Salesforce (CRM) stock slides 3% today, weighing on Dow as traders eye jobs data and Fed path

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 12:10 ET — Regular session Salesforce Inc shares were down 3.3% at $256.11 in late-morning trade on Friday, extending a weak start to the first U.S. trading session of 2026. The move matters because Salesforce is a high-priced Dow component, giving it an outsized impact on the blue-chip index’s day-to-day swings. In a price-weighted index like the Dow, higher-priced stocks can move the index more on a point basis. MarketWatch Investors are also using the first session of the year to reposition after a choppy year-end, with attention shifting to interest-rate expectations that can drive
2 January 2026
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Bank of America stock rises today as Fed-cut bets return and earnings loom

Bank of America stock rises today as Fed-cut bets return and earnings loom

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 12:01 ET — Regular session Bank of America Corporation (BAC) shares rose 0.9% to $55.50 by 11:46 a.m. ET on Friday, beginning 2026 on a firmer note. The stock traded between $55.03 and $55.68. The move comes as investors reset positions for the year with the interest-rate outlook back in focus. Bank stocks tend to react quickly because rates drive net interest income (NII) — the difference between what a lender earns on loans and what it pays to fund deposits. Market pricing shows traders see only a 15% chance the Federal Reserve cuts rates
2 January 2026
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Visa stock slips nearly 1% today as Wall Street eyes jobs data and Fed rate cues

Visa stock slips nearly 1% today as Wall Street eyes jobs data and Fed rate cues

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 11:11 ET — Regular session Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) shares fell 0.9% to $347.54 in late-morning trading on Friday. The stock traded between $343.59 and $351.75. The pullback put the payments giant in focus at the start of 2026, when positioning can swing quickly after year-end. Visa makes money by taking a small fee on card transactions, so investors track economic data for signals on consumer spending. After the S&P 500 finished 2025 up more than 16%, investors are scanning for new catalysts and the next read on U.S. economic momentum. The monthly jobs report
2 January 2026
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Amazon stock today: AMZN slips as 2026 kicks off, with AI spending and Fed bets in focus

Amazon stock today: AMZN slips as 2026 kicks off, with AI spending and Fed bets in focus

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 09:41 ET — Regular session Amazon.com, Inc. shares (AMZN) fell 0.7% to $230.82 in early trading on Friday. The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” — a group of the biggest U.S. tech-related companies — that helped drive a third straight year of double-digit gains for the broader market in 2025 on AI optimism and lower interest rates. “Everything firing on all cylinders” is needed for another strong year, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, said in a Reuters report. Reuters Traders are also resetting expectations for the Federal Reserve after a series
2 January 2026
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Silver price today: SLV jumps in premarket as bullion rebounds on Fed rate-cut bets

Silver price today: SLV jumps in premarket as bullion rebounds on Fed rate-cut bets

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 07:29 ET — Premarket Silver prices jumped more than 4% on Friday, snapping back from late-December profit taking as investors bought bullion on rate-cut bets and geopolitical worries. U.S.-listed silver vehicles, including iShares Silver Trust (SLV), were indicated higher ahead of the open. The rebound matters because silver has turned into a high-beta proxy for the market’s view on U.S. rates and the dollar after a record 2025 run. Small shifts in expectations can translate into outsized moves when liquidity is thin. Friday also marks the first trading day of the year for many investors
2 January 2026
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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

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 06:59 ET — Premarket 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 (0.60%) and Nasdaq 100 E-minis added 267 points (1.05%). Analysts at Deutsche Bank cautioned the first trading day has been a poor guide to how the year ultimately plays out. Reuters The early move matters because investors are testing whether the rally that powered major U.S.
2 January 2026
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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

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:40 ET 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
1 January 2026
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Tech stocks stumble into 2026 as Nasdaq ends 2025 lower; Fed cuts and chip policy in focus

Tech stocks stumble into 2026 as Nasdaq ends 2025 lower; Fed cuts and chip policy in focus

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 13:38 ET — Market closed U.S. technology stocks closed out 2025 with a late dip, pulling the Nasdaq lower in year-end trade, as Wall Street remained shut on Thursday for the New Year’s Day holiday. The slide matters because tech’s outsized run has left investors sensitive to interest-rate swings and any hints that demand for AI hardware is cooling. Growth stocks tend to benefit when borrowing costs fall, but they can drop fast if rates rise or earnings expectations slip. Strategists say 2026 will test whether earnings growth can keep up with the optimism priced
1 January 2026
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Bank of America stock ends 2025 down as Fed liquidity signal sets up Jan. 14 earnings test

Bank of America stock ends 2025 down as Fed liquidity signal sets up Jan. 14 earnings test

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 11:58 ET — Market closed Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) shares closed at $55.00 on Wednesday, down 0.51%, in the last U.S. session of 2025. U.S. stocks are closed on Thursday for the New Year’s Day holiday. Stooq+1 The pause leaves investors heading into bank earnings season with few fresh company catalysts and a sharp focus on rates. Bank of America has set Jan. 14 for its fourth-quarter results. Bank of America For big lenders, the key question is whether funding costs keep easing as the Fed cuts rates, or whether deposit pricing stays sticky.
1 January 2026
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Home Depot stock today: HD slips into the year-end close as investors eye Fed signals and an insider sale filing

Home Depot stock today: HD slips into the year-end close as investors eye Fed signals and an insider sale filing

NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 15:50 ET — Regular session Home Depot shares were down about 0.3% at $345.33 in late-afternoon New York trading on Wednesday, underperforming earlier highs as the broader market eased into the final session of 2025. The stock traded between $344.87 and $346.69; rival Lowe’s was down about 0.5% and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF fell about 0.5%. The muted move still matters for a rate-sensitive corner of retail. Home-improvement spending tends to follow housing turnover and financing conditions, and investors are positioning for how quickly borrowing costs ease in early 2026. Fresh U.S. data on
31 December 2025
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Bank of America stock dips as Fed repo borrowing hits a record at year-end

Bank of America stock dips as Fed repo borrowing hits a record at year-end

NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 15:02 ET — Regular session Bank of America Corporation shares were down about 0.3% in afternoon trading on Wednesday as year-end funding-market flows and rate expectations set the tone for U.S. financial stocks. The move matters now because big banks are sensitive to shifts in short-term funding costs, which can filter into trading conditions and overall financing appetite heading into 2026. At year-end, liquidity often tightens as institutions trim balance sheets. It also comes ahead of a January stretch of catalysts that can reset expectations for Federal Reserve policy and the rate backdrop banks face.
31 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

7 February 2026
Vodafone shares rose 1.47% to 110.60p Friday, recovering part of Thursday’s 4.68% drop after a Q3 update. Group revenue climbed 6.5% to €10.5 billion, but Germany’s 0.7% service revenue growth missed some forecasts. Vodafone launched a new €500 million buyback tranche, bringing total buybacks since May to €3.5 billion. Investors remain focused on Germany’s pace and cash flow execution.
NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

7 February 2026
NatWest shares closed up 1.45% at 659.4 pence Friday, buoyed by a buyback of 797,428 shares and a new digital mortgage deal with Rightmove. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled possible cuts, with markets pricing in two reductions for 2026. NatWest plans to expand its Accelerator community to 50,000 members by 2026. Annual results are due Feb. 13.
Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Unilever shares closed flat at 5,250p in London Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.6% gain. The company issued 4.2 million new shares for employee plans, bringing total shares to over 2.18 billion. Investors await Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 12, with analyst consensus pointing to 3.9% Q4 sales growth. Unilever’s U.S. ADR rose 0.8% to $72.12.
BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

7 February 2026
BP shares closed up 1.9% at 478 pence Friday, just below a 52-week high, as the company continued buybacks ahead of next week’s results. BP repurchased 2.789 million shares on February 6. Oil prices firmed on geopolitical risk, with Brent at $68.05 a barrel, but sector outlook remains uncertain. Investors await BP’s earnings and dividend decision due Tuesday.
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