2024-12-26 21:25:04The three major indices closed muted a day after the Christmas holiday with markets remaining subdued as they evaluated the potential impact of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates on corporate earnings in the coming year. New data revealed a slight decrease in unemployment claims, falling by 1K to 219K, rather than the expected increase of 4K. Shares of Tesla (-1.7%) and Meta (-0.7%) declined, weighing on the Consumer Discretionary and Communication Services sectors, while Broadcom (+2.4%) extended its gains for a fourth straight day. Apple (+0.3%) was on track to reach a $4 trillion market value, with its stock just shy of the milestone, positioning it to be the first company in history to achieve this feat. Year-to-date, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 are poised for gains of 28% and 31%, fueled by a rally in chip stocks and speculative bets on AI technology. The Dow Jones is expected to underperform, though still gain 15% for the year.