REFILE-LIVE MARKETS-Wall Street green as Christmas week commences

Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com

WALL STREET GREEN AS CHRISTMAS WEEK COMMENCES

Investors kicked off the Christmas-shortened, likely low-volume week in a buying mood.

All three major U.S. stock indexes are modestly green in the opening minutes, with energy .SPNY, chips .SOX and commercial airlines .SPCOMAIR the early outperformers.

Semiconductors are being given a boost by reports that AI headliner Nvidia NVDA.O plans to start shipping powerful AI chips to China in mid-February.

There is no data to speak of, giving what few investors there are left little in the way of economic catalysts to sway sentiment one way or the other.

But later in the week, PCE, GDP, housing starts/building permits, durable goods, industrial output, new home sales and consumer confidence await under the tree.

With the number of trading days remaining in 2025 dwindling, analysts will take note of the SOX's more than 40% surge during the year, and weakness in housing stocks .HGX, which are currently off more than 2% since the ball last dropped in Times Square.

Among the "magnificent seven" group of AI-affiliated momentum stocks, Alphabet GOOGL.O soared over 60%.

Separately of note, Truth Social parent Trump Media DJT.O is poised to end the year down more than 50%.

Here's where things stood at 9:58 a.m. ET:

(Stephen Culp)

EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:

BANKS EYE HISTORIC HAT-TRICK AS BOFA PREDICTS 2026 RALLY CLICK HERE

RBC SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER: OVERWEIGHT TREATS FOR HEALTH CARE & COMM SERVICE CLICK HERE

GROWTH ON TRACK TO OUTPERFORM VALUE FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR CLICK HERE

FTSE MIB SEEN UP IN 2026, BUT BANKS HIT VALUATION CEILING CLICK HERE

THE UNWINDS TO WORRY ABOUT NEXT YEAR CLICK HERE

EXCITEMENT FREE OPEN CLICK HERE