Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Rise, S&P 500, Nasdaq Drops As Street Awaits Slew Of Economic Releases — AAR, Mobileye, Penguin Solutions In Focus - SPDR S&P 500 (ARCA:SPY)

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures were mixed following a higher close on Tuesday, with major benchmark indices showing varied performance [1] - Investors are preparing for significant economic releases, including the ADP employment report and ISM services index [1] - The Dow Jones increased approximately 1% to reach new record highs during a rotation into blue-chip stocks [1] Treasury Yields and Market Sentiment - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.15%, while the two-year bond was at 3.46% [2] - Market expectations indicate an 83.9% likelihood that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged in January [2] Stock Performance - AAR Corp. (NYSE:AIR) shares rose 5.07% after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter results and a strong sales forecast for the current quarter, projecting sales between $813.840 million and $827.404 million, exceeding market estimates of $793.438 million [6] - Penguin Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:PENG) saw a 4.41% increase in premarket trading after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter financial results [6] - Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLY) shares jumped 11% following a definitive agreement to acquire Mentee Robotics for approximately $900 million, aiming to integrate its autonomous driving technologies with Mentee's robotics platform [6] - Ventyx Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:VTYX) advanced 67.76% amid reports of advanced acquisition talks with Eli Lilly & Co. for over $1 billion [6] Sector Performance - On Tuesday, materials, health care, and industrials stocks showed the strongest gains on the S&P 500, while energy and communication services sectors closed lower [9] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a positive outlook for 2026, advocating a "risk-on" stance driven by structural shifts rather than traditional macroeconomic indicators, expecting continued strength in U.S. equities supported by strong corporate earnings and AI themes [11][12] - The firm emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing economic conditions, noting that traditional anchors like stable inflation have weakened [13] Upcoming Economic Data - Key economic data to be released includes December's ADP employment report, ISM services index, job openings data, and U.S. factory orders [14] Commodities and Global Markets - Crude oil futures fell by 1.02% to around $56.55 per barrel, while gold spot prices decreased by 0.70% to approximately $4,463.46 per ounce [17] - Bitcoin traded 1.74% lower at $91,732.77 per coin [17] International Market Performance - Asian markets closed mixed, with South Korea's KOSPI and Australia's ASX 200 indices rising, while indices in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and India fell [18] - European markets were mostly higher in early trade [18]