Market Overview - The ASX 200 is expected to see a slight dip of -3.5 points at the open of the first Monday of 2026, indicating a flat market start [2] - Wall Street's leading indexes finished flat on the previous Friday, with the S&P 500 up +0.2% and the Nasdaq down -0.1% [4] Oil and Commodities - Major oil companies such as Woodside (ASX:WDS), Beach Energy (ASX:BPT), and Santos (ASX:STO) are under observation as oil prices are affected by geopolitical events, with Brent crude dropping to around $60 per barrel [6][4] - Iron Ore has started the year strong at $105.40 per tonne in Singapore, while Brent Crude is fairly flat at $60.75 per barrel, and Gold is priced at $4,348 per ounce [9] Company News - Vulcan Energy (ASX:VSL) is undergoing a leadership change with Gavin Street replacing Rhys Jones as CEO, while Rhys will remain on the board [7] - New Frontier (ASX:NFM) is closer to obtaining a mining lease in Queensland after state regulators approved the review of its Big One copper deposit [7] - Australian Agricultural (ASX:AAC) reported that flooding in north-western Queensland has impacted three of its properties, with a focus on the welfare of its people and animals [8]

Stocks fell slightly on Wall Street Tuesday as trading for 2025 nudges closer to the finish line.With just one trading day left before the year ends, most big investors have closed out their positions and volume has been thin. Every major index is headed for a double-digit gain for the year.The S&P 500 fell 9.50 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 6,894.24. Even with three straight days of small losses, the S&P 500 is on track for an annual gain of more than 17 per cent.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 94.87 p ...

Chaay_Tee / iStock via Getty Images Quick Read: Investors returned from the Christmas Holiday to see some big end-of-the-year selling on Monday. With volume very low and many traders not back from the holiday until next Monday, it’s a good bet we can see some more volatility today. Profit taking in technology and precious metals, both of which have exploded higher in 2025, is a likely reason for the predictable selling to close out another stellar year. A recent study identified one single habit t ...

U.S. Stock market today: U.S. stocks started the final week of 2025 on a weaker note, with major indexes slipping as selling pressure hit megacap technology names and precious metals pulled back sharply from record highs. Investors entered the last three trading sessions of the year cautious but still positioned for what is shaping up to be a strong annual finish for Wall Street. The Despite the daily slip, the broader market remains on track for a robust yearly performance. The S&P 500 has climbed over 17% ...

Chaay_Tee / iStock via Getty Images Quick Read: With just two full trading days left in 2025, look for some volatility this week. The S&P 500 is heading for its third consecutive year of double-digit returns, barring a market meltdown this week. While the AI/Datacenter trade remains front and center as we head into 2026, look for more sector rotation once again next year. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reali ...

Bet_Noire / iStock via Getty Images Quick Read Stocks continued higher on Monday as the “Santa Claus” rally appears to be here. Small-caps were the big winner Monday as the Russell 2000 pushed higher again. Look for trading volume to really slow down today and tomorrow, as the Christmas holiday approaches. If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick questions causing many Americans to realize they can retire earlier than expected. take 5 minutes to learn more he ...

Chaay_Tee / iStock via Getty Images Quick Read Friday’s triple witching expiration for options and futures helped the markets close the week on a solid note. The strong move higher by all the major indices may signal the beginning of a traditional December “Santa Claus ” rally. With only six full trading days left in 2025, and volume almost surely to decline as Wall Street leaves for the holidays, we could see a big move higher to end the year. If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who ...

Company Developments - IGO Ltd (ASX:IGO) has commenced construction of its new lithium plant at Greenbushes, with a projected capacity of approximately 500,000 tonnes per year of spodumene concentrate [5] - Champion Iron (ASX:CIA) is pursuing the acquisition of Norwegian iron ore producer Rana Gruber for around US$289 million, marking an overseas expansion [5] - Monadelphous has been selected to assist Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) in building a significant link at the Brockman Syncline iron development in Western Australia [6] - Eminence Minerals (ASX:EMA) has concluded its hearing with the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee regarding two new Aboriginal sites near the Hamersley Iron Ore Project, with findings expected in early 2026 [6] Market Overview - Australian shares are up by 0.5% at the start of the last week of the year, influenced by the upcoming holiday breaks [1] - The major U.S. indices have shown positive performance, with the S&P gaining 0.9%, the Dow Jones advancing 0.4%, and the Nasdaq increasing by 1.4% due to AI-related gains [3] - European markets also experienced gains, with the Eurostoxx up by 0.4% and the FTSE adding 0.6% [3] Commodity Prices - The Australian dollar is trading at 66.1 U.S. cents [7] - Iron ore prices have decreased by approximately 0.4%, now at $104.50 per tonne in Singapore [7] - Brent crude remains stable at $60.47 per barrel [7] - Gold is priced at $4,350 per ounce [7] - U.S. natural gas futures have increased by 2%, reaching $3.98 per gigajoule [7]

And joining me now to take a look at the current market setup and talk trends. We want to welcome in our next guest that's Ahmed Riaco, chief investment officer of Insignia. And thank you so much for joining us today.So we've got earning season behind us and the big AI headlines still swirling to some degree. When you think about what's driving markets now, what's your focus on. >> Well, first of all, good morning.Great to be here with you and just want to let you know, you know, gardening season was great. ...

Hello and welcome to Market Domination Overtime. Stocks closing higher here after that cooler than expected November CPI print. Our very own Enz Fay joins us with the latest market moves.Nez. Josh. Uh stocks closing higher though off the highs of the session.There seems to be a little bit of selling in those last few minutes of trading. Taking a look at the Dow ended up uh onetenth of a percent. The Nasdaq Composite ending up 1.4% and the S&P 500 ending up about 8/10en of a percent.But there you see some of ...