The S&P 500 closed slightly higher on Friday, the first trading day of 2026, as gains in semiconductor names kept the index afloat.
The benchmark closed up 0.19% at 6,858.47, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03% to finish at 23,235.63. The two had been solidly positive earlier in the day, with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq trading higher by 0.7% and 1.5% at their peaks, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 319.10 points, or 0.66%, to settle at 48,382.39.
Friday’s gain marks a reversal from the first-day trading trend of the last few years. The S&P 500 finished lower on the first day of trading for each of the last three years. Going back to the 1950s, there is no discernible trend, with the first day finishing positive about 48% of the time, according to Bespoke Investment Group.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/02/stock-market-today-live-updates.html