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NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks eked out small gains on Wall Street Friday in a wobbly day of trading to kick off the new year.
Markets were mostly quiet on the first trading day of 2026, with the influential technology sector driving much of the up-and-down action. The mostly minor moves also cap off a tepid and holiday-shortened week. Markets were closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day.
The S&P 500 rose 12.97 points, or 0.2%, to 6,858.47. The benchmark index is coming off a gain of more than 16% in 2025.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 319.10 points, or 0.7%, to 48,382.39.
The Nasdaq composite fell 6.36 points, or less than 0.1%, to 23,235.63. The index was weighed down by losses for Microsoft and Tesla.
Foreign markets fared better and benchmarks in Britain and South Korea hit records.
Technology stocks steered the market, especially companies with a focus on artificial intelligence, continuing the trend that pushed the broader market to records in 2025.
Nvidia jumped 1.3% and was the biggest force trying to push the market higher. But a 2.2% fall for Microsoft helped to check those gains.
Tesla also weighed on markets with a 2.6% drop after reporting falling sales for a second year in a row.
Nvidia, Microsoft and Tesla are among the most valuable companies in the world and their outsized valuations give them more influence on the stock market’s direction. That includes sometimes pushing the market up and down from hour to hour.
Technology companies have been a major focus because of advancements in artificial intelligence technology and the potential for growth within the sector. Wall Street has been betting that demand for computer chips and other items needed for data centers will help justify the big investments from technology companies and their pricey stock values.