Wall Street Review: Stocks Deliver Solid Gains in 2025, New Year Opens Mixed

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 2, 2026. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesThe Santa Claus rally that propelled equity markets to fresh record highs last week lost steam this week, as investors locked in profits from last year’s top performers and rotated into lagging sectors. Nonetheless, equities closed 2025 with solid gains.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.72 percent for the week to 48,382. The S&P 500 declined by 1.06 percent to 6,858, finishing slightly below its weekly low reached during the Jan. 2 trading session. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid by 1.60 percent, also near its weekly low, while the Russell 2000 was down by 1.56 percent.