U.S. Stocks Finish 2025 On Downbeat Note But Post Strong Yearly Gains

Market Performance - Stocks experienced continued weakness during light trading on New Year's Eve, with major averages showing notable declines [1] - The Dow fell by 303.77 points (0.6%) to 48,063.29, the Nasdaq decreased by 177.09 points (0.8%) to 23,241.99, and the S&P 500 dropped by 50.74 points (0.7%) to 6,845.50 [1] - This marked the fourth consecutive session of declines, following record closing highs for the Dow and S&P 500 [2] Yearly Gains - Despite recent pullbacks, major averages posted strong annual gains, with the Nasdaq up 20.4%, the S&P 500 up 16.4%, and the Dow up 13.0% for the year [3] Economic Indicators - The Labor Department reported a decrease in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits, with initial jobless claims falling to 199,000, down 16,000 from the previous week's revised level [4] - Economists had anticipated an increase in jobless claims to 220,000, indicating a stronger labor market than expected [4] Sector Performance - Biotechnology stocks performed poorly, dragging the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index down by 1.9% [4] - Gold stocks also showed considerable weakness, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index falling by 1.4% due to a slump in gold prices [5] - Other sectors, including computer hardware, brokerage, networking, and semiconductors, experienced notable declines [5] International Markets - In overseas trading, stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region showed mixed performance, with China's Shanghai Composite Index up by 0.1% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index down by 0.9% [6] - European stocks also moved modestly lower, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index down by 0.1% and the French CAC 40 Index slipping by 0.2% [6] Bond Market - Treasuries declined during the session, leading to a rise in the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which increased by 3.3 basis points to 4.163% [7]