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It was last week when President Trump signed an executive order to declare both Wednesday, December 24th (Christmas Eve) and today federal holidays, giving a five-day weekend to federal employees, while the stock market remained open for a half-day Wednesday and a full session today.
Pre-market activity is flat today on very low volume, quite as expected. The past five trading days have been favorable among the major indexes, between +1.5% (Russell 2000) and +2.4% (Nasdaq). Year to date, in order of success, the Nasdaq is +22% — above +20% for the third straight year (with four trading days left in 2025) — the S&P 500 +17.6%, the blue-chip Dow +14.3% and the small-cap Russell 2000 +13.8%.
Because it is a federal holiday today, we won’t see new economic data from the U.S. government. But this is a quiet time of year for such activity anyway; we do have a few reports scheduled for next week, but we’re also looking at a shortened trading week with next Thursday closed for New Year’s Day. New Year’s Eve, however, is slated for a full session — at least for now.
What to Expect from the Market Next Week
We expect holiday trading volume to remain at low levels next week, though we will see a few key data points. These include a new Case-Shiller Home Price Index for October (not due to the government shutdown; Case-Shiller numbers are always a couple months in arrears) and Pending Home Sales for November. Wednesday will bring us Weekly Jobless Claims a day early, same as this week.
Next Tuesday, the official minutes from the December Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) report will come out, allowing analysts to closer parse the discussions regarding the -25 basis-point (bps) cut which brought the Fed funds rate to a range of 3.50-3.75% for the first time in three years. We saw three dissents, in opposite directions: Fed Governor Stephen Miran voted for a -50 bps cut, while Fed Presidents Goolsbee (Chicago) and Schmid (Kansas City) voted for no change to interest rates.
Currently, the odds of another interest rate cut in late January are quite low. Economic reports following the government shutdown have been delayed and/or incomplete — for one example, in last week’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, it registered Owners Equivalent Rent from October to November as 0. That will likely be revised higher, which may have an impact on the initial +2.7% Inflation Rate reported. Thus, a majority of Fed members will likely wait for more data to arrive before moving rates lower.
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WESCO enjoys a strong market position and a global account model, and its business is currently being driven by strengthening end markets and its One WESCO value proposition.
Strength in the Aerospace Systems unit, strategic long-term plan and synergies from the acquisitions bode well for Parker-Hannifin. Shareholder-friendly policies raise the stock’s appeal.
Decent loan demand, hedge programs and relatively high rates will likely aid East West Bancorp’s revenues. Its enhanced capital distribution plan reflects a solid balance sheet and liquidity position.
Strength in the commercial & defense sectors, driven by favorable market dynamics, is likely to benefit GE Aerospace. Solid liquidity position and portfolio-restructuring plans augur well for it.
Strong rebound of procedure volumes in the United States are leading to solid growth in Healthcare business. New acquisitions and partnerships should strengthen its product offerings.
Strength in the commercial and defense aerospace markets and a solid liquidity position augur well for Howmet. Its consistent measures to reward shareholders spark optimism.
Ross Stores benefits from strong customer response across both banners, aiding sales. ROST posted 10% year-over-year sales growth, driven by 7% comps increase in Q3.
Growing adoption of the company’s da Vinci system, increasing procedure volumes, continuous innovation and solid recurring revenue base are key catalysts.
AptarGroup will bear the impact of increase in several input costs, including utilities, metals, freight and labor. Supply chain disruptions will also act as a woe.
Weakness pertaining to freight revenues and volumes do not bode well for NSC. The company's high debt load and share price volatility are also causes for worry.
Sprouts Farmers faces slowing comparable sales and shrinking basket sizes as consumer sensitivity rises, signaling softer demand and limited growth visibility into early 2026.
Integer Holdings’ operation in a highly regulated healthcare industry and a stiff competitive space is a major headwind. Other issues like dependence on third-party suppliers and customers persist.
Tyson Foods leverages a diversified protein portfolio, strong chicken performance and global expansion to deliver resilient growth, rising profits and long-term shareholder value.
AT&T is witnessing early momentum in its core market areas driven by strength in 5G and fiber, as it aims to better harness edge computing capabilities with core business focus.
Amgen’s key medicines like Evenity and Repatha as well as newer medicines like Tavneos and Tezspire are driving sales, more than offsetting declining revenues from oncology biosimilars and legacy established products such as Enbrel
AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq, are performing extremely well, bolstered by approval in new indications, which should support top-line growth in the next few years.
Target’s accelerating digital ecosystem, marketplace expansion, shrink improvement, and high-margin non-merchandise streams, supported by advanced tech and AI, enhance profitability and omnichannel scale.
