Live Nasdaq Composite: Markets Find Catalyst for Decisive Upward Move
Quick Read
-
Wedbush sees Tesla potentially reaching a $2T valuation in 2026 with a bull case of $3T by year-end.
-
Oracle secured $150B in new data center lease commitments in its November quarter.
-
MicroStrategy purchased 10,645 bitcoin for $980.3M between December 8 and 14.
Live Updates
AVGO Sinks
Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO) stock has fallen nearly 5% today to well below the $400-per-share threshold despite some positive developments. iPhone maker Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is reportedly teaming up with Broadcom for the development of an AI server chip dubbed Baltra to offset its dependency on industry leader Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA).
Market Rally Loses Steam
The markets have turned lower across the board, pressured by lingering fears of an AI bubble. Investors might want to buckle up for a tempered take on the markets. Bank of America’s equites strategist Savita Subramanian is forecasting the S&P 500 to wrap up 2026 hovering around 7,100, a prediction that pencils in a mere 4% gain and ranks among Wall Street’s most bearish predictions.
Santa Claus Rally
Wall Street is once again wondering if a Santa Claus rally is on deck. Going back to 1929, the S&P 500 has gained in roughly 79% of these year-end windows: the last five trading days of December and the first two of January, with an average return of about 1.6%. Since 1950, the blueprint has been similar, with the index finishing higher in more than 75% of those stretches while averaging a 1.3% gain.
In fact, the S&P 500 has fallen during the Santa Claus stretch only once in the past eight years, and the final two weeks of December have been the strongest weeks for stocks over the last 75 years. With that history in mind, some investors are starting to float year-end 2025 S&P 500 targets as high as 7,000.
This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.
The markets are kicking off the week on a high note, with all three of the major stock market averages seeing green. Technology stocks are leading the way, as tailwinds from Wall Street analysts lift some major names. A slew of economic indicators are expected this week, as traders and investors bet that strengthening inflation data, consumer confidence and labor market will all serve as tailwinds for the stock market.
Technology stocks are buzzing this morning with a wave of developments. Among them, Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) has captured the spotlight. Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives is calling 2026 a “monster year” for Tesla and Elon Musk as the EV maker leans harder into autonomous driving and robotics. He sees Tesla’s valuation climbing to around $2 trillion next year, with a bull-case scenario of $3 trillion by year-end 2026 amid a successful AI strategy. Wedbush has reemphasized its “outperform” rating on TSLA stock.
Here’s a look at where things stand as of morning trading:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 48,642.36 Up 212.97 (+0.44%)
Nasdaq Composite: 23,328.09 Up 125.20 (+0.54)
S&P 500: 6,857.36 Up 27.25 (+0.40%)
Tech Talk
After last week’s fear-driven sell-off, Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) shares are back in focus after reports suggest the company locked in roughly $150 billion in new data center lease commitments in its November quarter. That brings total lease obligations tied largely to cloud and data center expansion to about $248 billion, supporting major AI and cloud customers such as OpenAI.
Bitcoin bull MicroStrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) is at it again, ramping up its crypto empire with a new buying spree. Michael Saylor’s company revealed it snapped up an additional 10,645 bitcoin between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, shelling out roughly $980.3 million in the process amid a Bitcoin price below the $90,000 per-coin threshold.
Goldman Sachs cut its outlook on Arm Holdings (Nasdaq: ARM) to “sell” from “neutral” with a $120 price target attached, blaming its heavy reliance on slower-growing smartphone royalties, rising R&D capex and fleeting near-term earnings upside.
KeyBanc analysts have lowered their view on ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) stock to “underweight” from “sector weight” with a $775 price target attached. The stock is getting hammered today, sinking 8.5%.
Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
© Chaay_Tee / iStock via Getty Images
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks