Live Nasdaq Composite: See-Saw Markets Take Investors on Wild Ride
Quick Read
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Nasdaq plans to extend trading hours from 16 to 23 hours per day across five days per week.
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Morgan Stanley projects Tesla will operate 1 million robo-taxis by year-end 2035.
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Waste Management raised its 2026 dividend by 14.5% and authorized a $3B buyback program.
Live Updates
Aggressive Apple
According to reports, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) intends to bolster its iPhone lineup from five to seven versions in 2027. The stock is down fractionally today with much of the tech sector.
Quantum Stocks
Jefferies analysts are upbeat about quantum stocks, launching coverage on a couple of names. The Wall Street firm has added IonQ (NYSE: IONQ | IONQ Price Prediction) to its coverage universe with a “buy” rating, sending shares higher by 5.1% today. Also, Jefferies analysts are bullish on D-Wave Quantum (Nasdaq: QBTS), attaching a $45 price target and sending the stock 3.4% higher today.
Labor Market Mixed Signals
The labor market is sending mixed signals. Non-farm payrolls came in stronger than expected in November, tacking on 64,000 jobs (data was delayed, owing to the government shutdown.) Results surpassed economist estimates of 45,000 and came on the heels of a sharp decline in October. On the flip side, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6%, much higher than anticipated and the steepest in over four years. A wider measure that accounts for people who’ve given up looking for work and those stuck in part-time jobs climbed to 8.7%, its peak since Q3 2021.
This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.
The markets are mixed out of the gate, as investors brace for what is sure to become the latest volatile trading day of the holiday season. Traders and investors are spooked amid cracks in the economy showing from the labor market. As of early trading, the Nasdaq Composite is experiencing modest declines while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is attempting gains.
The Nasdaq exchange is gearing up for a major leap into 24/5 stock trading, as it plans to submit paperwork to the SEC for extending market hours. The goal is to make trading more accessible by expanding the window for stocks and ETFs from the current 16 hours to around 23 hours a day, five days a week, marking its first official push toward nearly round-the-clock trading.
Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) continues to capture the spotlight. Despite a 1.8% drop today, the stock has been barreling toward a fresh all-time high of late. Morgan Stanley predicts the EV maker will have around 1,000 fully self-driving robo-taxis on the road next year. By year-end 2035, the firm projects Tesla to operate 1 million robo-taxis across cities.
Separately, Silicon Valley software company Databricks reportedly seeks to raise over $4 billion at a valuation of a whopping $134 billion attached.
Here’s a look at where things stand as of morning trading:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 48,416.30 Up 2.63 (+0.03%)
Nasdaq Composite: 23,008.89 Down 53.51 (-0.21%)
S&P 500: 6,806.96 Down 10.55 (-0.15%)
Broader Market Movers
Waste Management (NYSE: WM) stock is rising after revealing its plans to increase its 2026 dividend by 14.5%, coupled with a fresh $3 billion share repurchase program. The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.945 per share.
ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is recapturing some lost ground, rising 1.8% today.
Ford Motor (NYSE: F) is tacking on 2% today after revealing plans to scale back EV production and a Q4 write-down amid a highly competitive market.
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.
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