It's the first trading day of 2026, and Wall Street already has its eye on what could be the next big market catalyst and next step for the AI trade. The 2026 Consumer Technology Association (CES) will kick off in Las Vegas on Monday, January 5, with a keynote speech from Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang. Yahoo Finance tech editor Dan Howley discusses what to expect from this year's CES event and what new tech Jensen Huang could unveil in his speech.

Tesla (TSLA) delivered 418,227 vehicles in the fourth quarter. That was fewer than the 440,907 that Wall Street was expecting. Roundhill Investments CEO Dave Mazza and Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Ines Ferré discuss the release. JonesTrading Chief Market Strategist Michael O'Rourke and Yahoo Finance senior markets reporter Ines Ferré weigh in on how much further the market may have to run, referencing recent trends in precious metals commodities

Takeaways:

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On the Morning Brief, Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi is examining the biggest developing market stories on December 31, 2025 — the final trading day of the year! JonesTrading Chief Market Strategist Michael O'Rourke and EMJ Capital Founder and President Eric Jackson come on today's program for a panel discussion spanning several topics, including a look back on 2025's strongest stock finishes and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) CEO Warren Buffett's final day as chief executive.

In the final trading day of 2025, investors are both looking back on the year's biggest stock theme and ahead to the next big opportunities and risks in 2026. Wall Street worries that an AI bubble growing around markets could be here to stay into the New Year. EMJ Capital Founder and President Eric Jackson, JonesTrading Chief Market Strategist Michael O'Rourke, and Yahoo Finance senior markets reporter Ines Ferré each share their perspective on the existence of an AI-driven market bubble. Also watch Eric Jackson compare Nvidia (NVDA) and AI bubble risks with his so-called pizza and retail bubbles.

Takeaways:

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi tracks several of the day's top trending stock tickers, including Tesla's (TSLA) expectations for weaker EV deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2025, mining company stocks gaining on the rebound in silver, gold, and copper prices, and Boeing (BA) signing an $8.5 billion contract with the US Air Force to build fighter jets for the Israeli military. 

Meta Platforms (META) is acquiring AI startup Manus. According to Bloomberg, the deal values Manus at more than $2 billion. Hennessy Funds portfolio manager Josh Wein, along with Yahoo Finance Senior Reporters Brooke DiPalma and Ines Ferré, discuss the deal and what it reveals about the state of AI.

Takeaways:

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi tracks several of the day's top trending stock tickers, including SoftBank's (9984.T, SFTBY) $4 billion acquisition of data center infrastructure firm DigitalBridge Group (DBRG), Intel (INTC) completing its stock sale to stakeholder Nvidia (NVDA), and the Wall Street Journal reporting Lululemon (LULU) founder Chip Wilson is staging a proxy battle by nominating three new board member candidates.

Takeaways:

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.

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US stocks headed into the post-Christmas session with thin volumes and major indexes hovering near record highs as investors track the Santa Claus rally window. Precious metals added to risk-on sentiment, with gold and silver at record levels and miners outperforming over the past month.

The AI trade stayed front and center after Nvidia (NVDA) struck its largest acquisition to date, agreeing to pay roughly $20B for assets from AI chip startup Groq. Wedbush’s Dan Ives framed the deal as another signal that AI infrastructure spending remains durable into 2026. Ives also reiterated his bullish stance on Tesla (TSLA), pointing to autonomy, robotics, and “physical AI” as the longer-term value drivers.

Macro risk is creeping back into the narrative. Steward Partners’ Jason Bonfield flagged 2026 uncertainties tied to tariffs, a potential Fed leadership change in May, and midterm election dynamics, arguing investors should avoid complacency and be prepared to rebalance into volatility. Trending tickers include Nvidia (NVDA) and Micron (MU).

Takeaways:

Santa rally optimism persists amid light holiday trading

Record metals prices support the broader risk backdrop

Nvidia’s Groq asset deal reinforces AI capex momentum

Tesla’s autonomy thesis remains a 2026 flashpoint

Policy and political risks are shaping next year’s playbook

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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US stocks were little changed on the holiday-shortened session after the S&P 500 closed at a record, with investors tracking the Santa Claus rally window into early January. Commodity strength stayed a key backdrop, keeping inflation and rate expectations in focus as traders look ahead to 2026 policy signals.

Strategists argued the AI trade still matters, but leadership may broaden from “AI cost centers” to “AI beneficiaries,” as adoption lifts productivity and margins beyond megacap tech. They also flagged potential 2026 rotation across sectors and styles, including equal-weight exposure as mega-cap earnings growth cools.

On the macro tape, the panel pointed to resilient consumer spending led by higher-income households, with liquidity conditions, wage gains, and productivity trends shaping the 2026 rates path. Dividend payers and healthcare were framed as under-owned areas that could re-rate if cash yields fade with Fed cuts.

Trending: BP (BP) in a $10.1B lubricants JV deal, Sanofi (SNY) to buy Dynavax (DVAX), and UiPath (PATH) added to the S&P MidCap 400.

Takeaways:

Markets are in Santa-rally watch mode after a record S&P 500 close.

Investors are debating AI leaders vs. the next wave of AI adopters.

Rotation and diversification are the core 2026 positioning call.

Consumer resilience and productivity are the key macro swing factors.

Deal news and index inclusion are moving single-name action.

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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US markets opened softer after Q3 GDP printed at 4.3%, reviving the idea the Fed may have less room to cut early in 2026. Investors now pivot to thin holiday liquidity, the next data points, and whether earnings can clear rising expectations.

AI leadership remains the focal point: Nvidia (NVDA) has added about 5% over the last 5 sessions as Dan Ives framed the cycle as “year 3” of a multi-year buildout, while Marianne Bartels argued 2026 looks like a volatility-heavy “reset” that still sets up a longer bull run for semis. The risk today is not the theme, it is the bar.

Commodities are the other momentum pocket: copper hit a fresh record above $12,000/ton and gold broke through $4,500/oz, with Bartels flagging a broader metals breakout.

Trending tickers: Novo Nordisk (NVO) on FDA approval for a weight-loss pill, with Eli Lilly (LLY) close behind.

Takeaways:

Strong GDP revived “higher for longer” rate sensitivity.

Semis can lead in 2026, but expect a reset-style drawdown.

Metals are acting like a FOMO trade with real supply constraints.

GLP-1 competition is accelerating from injections to pills.

Watch expectations, not narratives, into early 2026.

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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US stock futures edged higher into a holiday-shortened week, with investors still looking for a late-year Santa Claus rally and a quieter, lower-volume tape. Sentiment is also reacting to Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammock signaling no urgency to cut rates for several months, keeping the inflation debate in focus.

Crypto’s “everything went right, price still fell” narrative is front and center: Bitcoin is fighting key technical levels while investors watch a potential index-policy inflection around Strategy (MSTR) and other digital-asset-treasury companies. Meanwhile, gold and silver are making new highs, reframing the “digital gold” pitch as central-bank demand and reserve diversification keep physical metals bid.

Stock-specific movers and 2026 frameworks leaned into deal and growth themes: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) tracked the Paramount bid dynamics, Nvidia (NVDA) rose on China shipment chatter, and Clearwater Analytics (CWAN) jumped on a take-private. Investors also heard a “layup bets” approach favoring healthcare enablers over insurers.

Takeaways:

Futures pointed higher in thin, holiday trading.

Rate-cut timing remains constrained by inflation focus.

Bitcoin faces technical pressure amid index-rule uncertainty.

Metals strength is challenging the “digital gold” narrative.

2026 screens emphasized healthcare infrastructure and select M&A.

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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US index futures were steady Friday after a quiet week of delayed data and selective earnings reactions. Investors head into the final full trading week of 2025 watching for a soft-landing read on 2026 growth, Fed rate-cut timing, and whether breadth can keep expanding beyond mega-cap tech.

Big banks led 2025’s surprise winners: the KBW Bank Index rose about 28%, powered by strong trading and dealmaking, a less restrictive regulatory backdrop, and a yield-curve un-inversion that supports net interest income. The debate now shifts to 2026: can loan growth reaccelerate, and does a pickup in regional-bank M&A reward stock pickers over index exposure?

AI also broadened into “picks-and-shovels.” The playbook focuses on data-center construction, cooling, grid and nuclear-linked utilities, plus defense and late-stage biotech as potential 2026 tailwinds tied to spending and M&A cycles.

Trending tickers: Oracle (ORCL) jumped on a signed TikTok US joint-venture deal, Nike (NKE) slid on weak guidance, FedEx (FDX) rose after topping estimates and lifting its profit-floor outlook.

Takeaways:

Banks outperformed in 2025; 2026 hinges on lending and deal flow.

Deregulation expectations stay a key financials catalyst.

AI leadership may rotate toward infrastructure and power.

Nike’s reset highlights uneven consumer and China demand.

FedEx cost actions show up in guidance, not just headlines.

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

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US stock futures pushed higher after November CPI landed below estimates, but traders are weighing a key asterisk: the government shutdown disrupted data collection, leaving the report tougher to trust. Markets are now watching whether the next inflation and jobs prints validate a real downshift and what that means for the Fed’s 2026 rate-cut path.

The bigger story for risk appetite is how quickly “rate relief” feeds back into growth expectations. Yields ticked lower, lifting tech and other rate-sensitive groups, even as economists warned this CPI could be skewed by Black Friday timing and missing October benchmarks.

AI infrastructure also snapped back into focus. Micron (MU) surged premarket on a standout outlook tied to data-center memory demand, a reminder that the AI trade is still being led by capex and supply constraints.

Trending tickers: Trump Media (DJT) popped on a fusion deal, BP (BP) named a new CEO, and Coinbase (COIN) pushed further into an “everything app” strategy.

Takeaways:

CPI surprised lower, but shutdown-driven data gaps limit confidence.

Markets leaned risk-on as yields eased and cut expectations firmed.

AI capex remained the dominant tech driver via Micron’s outlook.

Activism and leadership change stayed in focus across consumer and energy.

Yahoo Finance's flagship show, Morning Brief, is your go-to source for smarter investing and market moves.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected].

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