New York, Jan 6, 2026, 17:09 EST — After-hours
- Dow closed at a record 49,462.08, its first finish above 49,000
- Chip and healthcare shares led; data-storage stocks posted outsized gains
- Investors turn to JOLTS on Wednesday and Friday’s U.S. jobs report for the next rate signal
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 49,000 for the first time on Tuesday, extending Wall Street’s early-year run as technology shares drove broad gains. The Dow added 484.90 points, or 1%, to 49,462.08; the S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 6,944.82 and the Nasdaq climbed 0.6% to 23,547.17. 1
For investors, the round-number break puts immediate focus on whether the index can hold those levels and make a run at 50,000. With earnings season nearing, traders are looking for proof that the latest rally has enough follow-through to survive the next wave of data and guidance.
The Dow is up about 2.9% so far in 2026, outpacing the Nasdaq’s roughly 1.3% gain. Markets have swung on shifting views of interest rates, with labor readings seen as the quickest route to a clearer path for Federal Reserve policy.
Chip and healthcare stocks led Tuesday’s advance, with Moderna up nearly 11% after BofA Global Research raised its price target. The PHLX semiconductor index, a widely watched gauge of chipmakers, hit an all-time high, and a strategist flagged the earnings backdrop: Jed Ellerbroek, a portfolio manager at Argent Capital, said he expects “a very strong earnings season for Big Tech” and higher capex — short for capital spending — tied to AI demand. 2
Data-storage names led the biggest gains: Sandisk, Western Digital and Seagate surged 28%, 17% and 14%, respectively. Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices fell on the day after their chief executives spoke at CES — the Consumer Electronics Show — in Las Vegas and outlined new AI chips and related developments. 3
AMD’s presence at CES underscored the competitive push behind the AI buildout. CEO Lisa Su previewed the MI500 line and said it would deliver 1,000 times the performance of an older version, with chips expected to launch in 2027, while Nvidia has touted its Vera Rubin platform and said it is in full production ahead of a debut later this year. 4
The Dow’s record run gathered steam on Monday, when energy and bank stocks jumped after a U.S. military strike captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, lifting oil-linked names. “Energy stocks are really benefiting,” said Rob Haworth of U.S. Bank Wealth Management; markets were pricing in about 60 basis points of Fed easing for 2026, according to LSEG data — a basis point is 0.01 percentage point. 5
But fresh highs leave little room for disappointment. A strong payrolls reading or firmer Fed rhetoric could pressure rate-cut expectations and weigh on equities, while elevated valuations make earnings guidance a sharper trigger for pullbacks.
Next up: the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 10:00 a.m. ET, followed by the U.S. employment report for December on Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET. 6
