LIVE MARKETS-A green start to the year

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A GREEN START TO THE YEAR

The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC is leading all three major stock indexes higher on Friday as trading books reset for 2026 and investors remain optimistic that the markets will deliver another year of strong returns.

Trading is expected to be light on Friday with no major catalysts and many investors out after Thursday’s New Year holiday.

Volume should pick up next week as more economic releases are rolled out, with the highlight on Friday to be the government’s jobs report for December.

Data releases this month will be critical for catching up on the U.S. economic outlook after delays and incomplete data due to the government shutdown clouded the last several months of releases.

The Federal Reserve is viewed as having only a small chance of cutting rates when it meets on January 27-28, though a cut in March is seen as possible, depending on the state of the labor market and inflation.

Traders are also focused on whether Santa will make a late appearance to salvage a slow start to the Santa Rally period, which stretches over the last five trading days of the year and the first two days of the new year.

This is currently tracking at about -0.4% on the S&P 500 .SPX.

Here is Friday’s opening market snapshot:

(Karen Brettell)

EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:

IN A PHOTO FINISH, GROWTH EDGED MOMENTUM IN 2025 CLICK HERE

A GOOD FIRST DAY COULD BE A BAD SIGN FOR THE YEAR CLICK HERE

DON'T EXPECT THE BOJ TO RUSH, SAY ING CLICK HERE

STRONG START TO 2026 CLICK HERE

EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: OFF WE GO AGAIN CLICK HERE