Wall Street Review: Stocks Close Out Strong Week on Labor Market Clarity

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 closed at record highs.A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 7, 2026. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images1/9/2026|Updated: 1/9/2026Equities resumed their rally this week as investors gained a clearer view of the labor market following the release of several key economic reports.Positive sentiment was further supported by geopolitical developments in Venezuela that lifted oil stocks and by the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which boosted technology shares.Panos MourdoukoutasAuthorPanos Mourdoukoutas is a professor of economics at Long Island University in New York City. He also teaches security analysis at Columbia University. He’s been published in professional journals and magazines, including Forbes, Investopedia, Barron’s, IBT, and Journal of Financial Research. He’s also the author of many books, including “Business Strategy in a Semiglobal Economy” and “China’s Challenge.”Author’s Selected Articles