Hi there,

Overview: US equity markets finished mixed on Thursday. A massive $1.5 trillion military budget proposal from the Trump administration sparked a rally in defense stocks, lifting the Dow. However, the Nasdaq fell as investors pulled back from high-flying AI and semiconductor names, fearing that the recent rally had become overextended.

📈 Major Indices

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Gained +0.55% (approx. 270 points), closing at 49,266.11.
• S&P 500: Finished almost flat, edging up +0.01% to 6,921.46.
• Nasdaq Composite: Declined -0.44%, closing at 23,480.02 due to tech sector weakness.

🏛️ Bonds, FX & Commodities

• US 10-Year Yield: Slipped to 4.14% (from 4.17%), as soft labor market indicators boosted bond prices.
• US Dollar Index (DXY): Edged +0.1% higher to 98.69.
• Gold: Advanced +0.6% to $4,470 per ounce, benefiting from its safe-haven status.
• WTI Crude Oil: Pulled back -1.7% to settle at $56.15 per barrel following news of increased supply negotiations with Venezuela.

📊 Specific Stock Performance

• GOOGL (Alphabet Inc.): Up +1.1% ($325.44). A strong performer yesterday, Alphabet overtook Apple in market cap to become the second-most valuable company in the world.
• DELL (Dell Technologies): Down -1.31% ($118.50). Note: We are closely monitoring Dell and are preparing to buy the stock, but we are currently waiting for the technical downtrend to end first. The stock has depreciated nearly 15% over the past month and remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• META (Meta Platforms): Down -0.5%. Continued to face mild pressure as part of the broader rotation out of mega-cap tech.
• ALK (Alaska Air Group): Down -0.8%. Underperformed slightly as the industrial sector focused more on defense contractors than travel.
• PFE (Pfizer Inc.): Up +0.3%. Caught a small bid as investors sought out stable, dividend-paying value stocks.
• NVO (Novo Nordisk ADR): Up +0.2%. Remained relatively stable near its recent highs, consolidating after a strong start to the year.
• FLTR.L (Flutter Entertainment): Flat (16,610p). Erased early losses in the London session to finish essentially unchanged.
• STZ (Constellation Brands): Up +0.6%. Found some support as the consumer staples sector saw a modest recovery.

Next: All eyes are now on the December Non-Farm Payrolls report being released this morning. This will be the ultimate market mover for the week.

📞 Strategy Call Assistance

If you require assistance with trade setup, risk management, or strategy review, please schedule a strategy call.

• PREMIUM Plan Members: Strategy calls are included in your plan.
• All Other Members: Strategy calls can be scheduled at a rate of €100 per half hour.

Happy Investing

Share Navigator Support

www.sharenavigator.ie