Basic materials stocks today: XLB ends 2025 lower as silver slumps, China PMI surprise in focus
NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 13:54 ET — Market closed U.S. basic materials stocks ended 2025 on a softer note, with sector ETFs slipping on Wednesday as investors took profits in metals and kept risk light into the New Year holiday. U.S. equity markets are closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day. New York Stock Exchange Why it matters now: materials shares tend to track swings in commodity prices and expectations for global growth, leaving them sensitive to fresh signals from China and the U.S. economy at the start of 2026. The sector is also coming off a year in