Dow ends higher on first day of 2026, still no Santa Claus rally

The Dow rose 319.10 points, or 0.66%, to 48,382.39, the S&P 500 gained 12.97 points, or 0.19%, to 6,858.47 and the Nasdaq lost 6.36 points, or 0.03%, to 23,235.63.

NEW YORK: The Dow and S&P 500 indices ended higher on Friday, starting 2026 by snapping a four-day losing streak, helped by gains in chip makers Nvidia, Intel and Boeing

In 2025, the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all notched double-digit gains, their third straight year in the green, a run last seen during 2019-2021.