The S&P and Dow are both closing at record levels despite concerns of Fed independence and geopolitical concerns with Iran increasing.
The Dow is closing the day up 86.13 points or0.17% at 48590.20. The S&P is up 10.99 points or0.16% at 6977.27.
The Nasdaq is closing up 62.56 points or 0.26% at 23733.90. The all-time high close from October 29 is up at 23958.47. The high price today at 23804.05 got within 71 points or so of that record high close.
U.S. fourth-quarter earnings season kicks off this week with results from major Wall Street banks, including JPMorgan and Bank of New York Mellon on Tuesday, followed by Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup on Wednesday, with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock reporting later in the week, giving investors a clearer view of how companies handled late-2025 disruptions such as the government shutdown and geopolitical tensions.
Sentiment toward the financial sector has already turned cautious, however, after President Trump called for a one-year 10% cap on credit-card interest rates, raising concerns about tighter regulation and pressure on bank profitability just as earnings season gets underway.
JP Morgan (JPM): $324.49 (-4.70, -1.43%)
Bank of New York Mellon (BK): 120.66 (+1.62, +1.36%)
Bank of America (BAC): 55.19 (–0.66, –1.18%)
Wells Fargo (WFC): 94.96 (–0.99, –1.03%)
Citigroup (C): 117.70 (–3.62, –2.98%)
Morgan Stanley (MS): 186.57 (+0.25, +0.13%)
Goldman Sachs (GS): 949.55 (+10.57, +1.13%)
BlackRock (BLK): 1,089.26 (+4.16, +0.38%)
S&P 500 sectors (strongest → weakest)
Communication Services (S5CONS): +1.42%
Industrials (S5INDU): +0.75%
Materials (S5MATR): +0.73%
Financials (S5FINT): +0.35%
Real Estate (S5REAS): +0.23%
Utilities (S5UTIL): +0.19%
Health Care (S5HLTH): +0.08%
Energy (S5ENRG): +0.01%
Consumer Discretionary (S5COND): +0.04%
Technology (SPN): –0.66%
Consumer Staples (SPF): –0.80%
(Positive sectors ranked by % gain first, then flat, then decliners.)
What the sector moves are telling us
Leadership today is clearly coming from Communication Services, Industrials, and Materials, which signals a risk-on rotation into cyclicals and growth-sensitive areas. The strong +1.42% move in Communication Services points to aggressive buying in media and tech-adjacent names, while gains in Industrials and Materials suggest investors are positioning for economic expansion and capital-spending themes.
At the other end of the tape, Technology and Consumer Staples are under pressure. Tech’s –0.66% drop reflects profit-taking in mega-cap growth, while Staples’ –0.80% decline shows money rotating out of defensive, low-volatility names. That combination reinforces the broader market message: investors are leaning into risk and away from safety today.
