Wall Street cools after tech rally as 2025 comes to an end

Market Overview - Wall Street's main indexes started the final week of the year on a softer note, with technology stocks retreating from previous gains that had pushed the S&P 500 to record highs [1] - The S&P 500 has added approximately 17% year-to-date, driven by enthusiasm around AI, despite earlier investor diversification away from U.S. stocks [6] Sector Performance - The information technology sector negatively impacted the S&P 500, with notable declines in major tech stocks such as Nvidia (down 1.8%), Broadcom (down 1%), and Palantir Technologies (down 1.4%) [1] - The materials sector slipped by 1%, influenced by a sharp drop in silver prices after previously exceeding $80 per ounce, while gold also fell [3] - Energy stocks gained the most, increasing by 1.2%, in line with a 2% rise in oil prices [3] Investor Sentiment - Some investors are anticipating a "Santa Claus rally," a seasonal trend where the S&P 500 typically sees gains in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in January [4] - Despite concerns over high valuations in technology, the bull market that began in October 2022 remains intact, supported by optimism around AI, interest-rate cuts, and a resilient economy [5] Trading Activity - Trading volumes are expected to be light due to the holiday season, with U.S. markets closed on New Year's Day [7] - On the NYSE, declining issues outnumbered advancers by a ratio of 1.85-to-1, and on the Nasdaq, the ratio was 2.56-to-1 [7] Notable Developments - DigitalBridge saw a significant gain of 9.6% as Japan's SoftBank Group is set to acquire the digital infrastructure investor in a deal valued at $4 billion [6] - The S&P 500 recorded 9 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite noted 22 new highs and 177 new lows [8]