The Economic Times·2025-12-31 02:02Market Overview - Major stocks ended a six-session winning streak, the longest since September, with the S&P 500 reaching a record high last week [1][10] - The S&P 500 lost 9.50 points (0.14%) to close at 6,896.24 points, the Nasdaq Composite fell 55.27 points (0.23%) to 23,419.08, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 94.87 points (0.20%) to 48,367.06 [4][11] Sector Performance - Losses in Goldman Sachs and American Express negatively impacted the Dow, while Citigroup's stock fell 0.8% following the announcement of the sale of its Russian unit, AO Citibank, to Renaissance Capital, resulting in a pre-tax loss of approximately $1.2 billion [3][11] - Communication services stocks gained, driven by a 1.1% rise in Meta Platforms, which announced the acquisition of AI startup Manus [10] Economic Indicators - The S&P 500 and Dow are on track for their eighth consecutive month of gains, the longest winning streak since 2017, with some investors anticipating a "Santa Claus rally" [5][11] - The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged in its upcoming meeting on January 27-28, following a nuanced debate about economic risks [6][7] Trading Activity - Trading volumes were lower than average, with U.S. exchanges recording 12.63 billion shares, compared to a 20-day average of 16.03 billion [9][11] - On the NYSE, declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.06-to-1 ratio, while on the Nasdaq, the ratio was 1.64-to-1 [9][11] Global Events Impact - Russia's toughened negotiating stance following accusations against Kyiv has supported oil prices, leading to a 0.8% rise in S&P's energy sub-index [8][11]