Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq tick up with Wall Street set to put a bow on roller-coaster 2025

Market Overview - US stocks experienced fluctuations as Wall Street concluded a volatile trading year with significant gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all losing around 0.1% in early trading [1][6] - The S&P 500 is up over 17% for the year, marking its sixth year of gains exceeding 15% in the last seven years, while the Nasdaq Composite has risen over 20% and the Dow is up over 13% [2] Economic Indicators - Initial jobless claims for the week ending December 27 fell to 199,000 from a revised 215,000, surprising economists who had expected an increase to 218,000 [7][8] - Continuing claims also decreased to 1.86 million from 1.91 million, contrary to predictions of a smaller decline to 1.90 million [9] Federal Reserve Outlook - The Federal Reserve's interest rate strategy remains a focal point, with 85% of market bets indicating that rates will remain steady in January [5][10] - The central bank's decision-making process is influenced by labor market conditions rather than inflation data, as indicated by the minutes from the December meeting [10] Commodity Market - Sugar prices are on track for their largest annual decline since 2017, dropping approximately 21% due to oversupply [12] - Other agricultural commodities like cocoa, potatoes, and rice have also seen significant price declines, with cocoa and rice futures falling by 48% and 32%, respectively [14] Currency Market - The US dollar is set to finish its weakest year since 2017, with a year-to-date drop of over 9% attributed to economic concerns and a dovish Federal Reserve outlook [15] - In contrast, the euro and pound have gained 13% and 7% respectively, marking their largest yearly gains in eight years [16]