New York, January 15, 2026, 13:10 EST — During the regular session
- DIA climbed in afternoon trading, boosted by gains in chip and bank stocks that lifted the Dow.
- TSMC’s guidance and earnings reports from Wall Street banks kicked off the session’s momentum.
- Investors are focused on labor data and the Fed’s decision due later this month.
The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) gained $3.67, roughly 0.7%, closing at $495.25 on Thursday. Earlier, it fluctuated between $490.94 and $495.67.
U.S. shares regained some ground following a two-day slide, with the Dow climbing 371 points, or 0.75%, by late morning. Chip stocks drove the gains as investors sifted through the latest earnings from major banks. “Stocks are reacting positively … it’s attracted some investors back,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. (Reuters)
Data kept rate jitters alive. Initial jobless claims dropped 9,000 to 198,000 last week, though economists warned January figures often swing due to seasonal quirks. “The picture of the labor market … is one of at least stable labor market conditions,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. (Reuters)
The chip rally began abroad. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co reported a fourth-quarter profit surge of 35%, beating forecasts, and expects nearly 30% revenue growth in U.S. dollars by 2026. It also raised its capital expenditure target to between $52 billion and $56 billion. “We’re also very nervous about it,” CEO C.C. Wei said of the spending, warning that a misstep “would be a disaster for TSMC.” (Reuters)
Bank earnings carried some weight as well. Goldman Sachs beat profit forecasts, boosted by stronger dealmaking and trading revenues. CEO David Solomon told analysts, “The world is set up at the moment to be incredibly constructive in 2026 for M&A and capital markets,” specifically pointing to mergers and acquisitions. (Reuters)
Morgan Stanley topped forecasts, buoyed by a pickup in investment banking fees. CFO Sharon Yeshaya pointed to a growing pipeline in M&A and IPOs, while CEO Ted Pick highlighted geopolitical risks and described the macro environment as “complicated.” (Reuters)
The Dow is price-weighted, so a $1 shift in a higher-priced stock can impact the index more than the same move in a cheaper one. This quirk sometimes makes DIA seem volatile, especially when just a few expensive names are driving the action.
The bounce remains fragile. Should yields climb back up or earnings forecasts fall short, the Dow’s rebound could unravel quickly, particularly since the market is depending heavily on a small group of top performers.
Traders face a long weekend as U.S. equity markets shut down Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. (New York Stock Exchange)
The Federal Reserve’s January 27-28 meeting is the next major event investors are eyeing closely. They’ll be looking for changes in the Fed’s tone on interest rates following this week’s conflicting inflation and employment data. (Federalreserve)
