A slow start for stocks Monday turned into a solid finish … for two of the three major indexes, anyway. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite on news Apple will halt sales of certain smartwatches.
Investors are looking ahead to a busy week of economic data in the lead up to the long holiday weekend. As a reminder, both the stock and bond markets will be closed next Monday, December 25, for Christmas.
There's plenty on the docket between now and then, however, including Friday's release of the November personal consumption and expenditures (PCE) index, the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation that measures consumer spending. Last week, the Fed kept interest rates unchanged for a third straight meeting and forecast three rate cuts next year as the pressure of rising prices lifts.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Apple stock weighs on the Dow
The Fed's long-awaited dovish pivot had all three indexes carving out a seventh straight weekly win, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing Friday at a new record close. Today, the 30-stock barometer lagged its peers, eking out a gain of less than a point to 37,306 – still, a new high.
Apple (AAPL) was one of the worst Dow Jones stocks today, slipping 0.9% after the tech giant said it is preparing to stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on December 21. The reason for this is an October ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission that found Apple had violated a patent for the blood oxygen monitors included in these Apple Watch models. The company intends to appeal the ruling.
The S&P 500 (+0.5% at 4,740) and the Nasdaq Composite (+0.6% at 14,904), meanwhile, gained more ground thanks to strong rallies in mega-cap stocks Meta Platforms (META, +2.9%) and Amazon.com (AMZN, +2.7%).
U.S. Steel stock pops on Nippon Steel deal news
In other stock news, U.S. Steel (X) shot up 26.1% after the steelmaker agreed to be bought by Japan's Nippon Steel in an all-cash deal valued at $14.1 billion, or $55 per X share. Nippon Steel is paying roughly a 40% premium to U.S. Steel's December 16 closing price.
The buyout premium "is a positive surprise," says CFRA Research analyst Matthew Miller (Strong Buy), considering rumors circulated last week for several offers in the $40 to $45 per-share range.
Miller adds that the deal is expected to close in the second half of next year, subject to shareholder votes and regulatory approval. It is "unlikely to receive any pushback from regulators from an antitrust standpoint (as Nippon has a very small footprint currently in North America), but a non-U.S. company could face higher regulatory risk from CFIUS (U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment)," the analyst says.
Related content
- Analysts Call Uber a "Strong Buy" as It Makes Its S&P 500 Debut
- Southwest Airlines Fined $140 Million for 2022 Holiday Failures
- Best Investing Moves to Make Before the End of the Year
-
Stock Market Today: Trump Retreats, Markets RejoiceStocks rally, yields soften, the dollar rises, and even beaten-down names enjoy the wages of potential trade peace.
-
In Trump’s Economy Should 401(k) Savers 'Set It and Forget It?'It’s hard to bury your head in the sand when the markets are volatile. Here’s when it makes sense and when it doesn’t.
-
Stock Market Today: Trump Retreats, Markets Rejoice
Stocks rally, yields soften, the dollar rises, and even beaten-down names enjoy the wages of potential trade peace.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Soar on China Trade Talk HopesTreasury Secretary Bessent said current U.S.-China trade relations are unsustainable and signaled hopes for negotiations.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Drops 971 Points as Powell Pressure Ramps UpPresident Trump is increasing his attacks against Jerome Powell, insisting the Fed chair cut interest rates.
-
Stock Market Today: No 'Powell Put'? No ProblemInvestors, traders and speculators look beyond both another Trump post and more signs of slowing economic activity.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Drops 699 Points After Powell SpeechFed Chair Powell warned of a slowing economy and higher inflation but said the central bank isn't ready to cut rates just yet.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Struggle Amid Tariff UncertaintyBoeing dropped after China suspended new aircraft orders, while Bank of America and Citi climbed on earnings beats.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Gain on Tech, Auto Tariff TalkThe Trump administration said late Friday that it will temporarily halt tariffs on some Chinese tech imports.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Surge to Close a Volatile WeekIt was another day with a week's worth of both news and price action, but it ended on a strongly positive note.
