Stock Market Live December 29, 2026: S&P 500 (SPY) Red Heading into 2026

By Ian Cooper Updated Dec 29, 10:27AM EST · Published Dec 29, 8:46AM EST

Quick Read

Gold is down by $70. Silver is down by about $4.10. All as investors lock in profits at record highs, and as the U.S. dollar firms slightly.
After a strong year for the Dogs of the Dow (nine out of 10 returned wins), 2026 may offer some good opportunity, with yield to boot.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives says Nvidia could see $250 by the end of 2026. In fact, he argues that the market is still underestimating how critical NVDA is to AI.

Live Updates

Trade IPOs Without Trading IPOs

Dec 29, 2025 at 10:25 AM EST

One of the best ways to invest in an IPO is by not investing in an IPO at all. That’s because investing in IPOs is a coin flip.

One of my favorite flops was the Ferrari IPO flop in 2015.

Here was a $12 billion IPO rolling on to the showroom floor, oversubscribed 10 times over. Investors were excited. Anticipation was high. The press noted it could be a hot runner even though the company had just said net profits fell 34%. Unfortunately, the IPO was a flop. Shares would plummet from $60 to $33 in days. Millions of dollars were wiped out.

Then there are your Amazon-type IPOs that just explode out of the gate and keep running. Unfortunately, it’s that coin flip that makes IPO investing terrifying for many investors.

While you can always take your chances with a bet on an IPO, there are easier ways, such as investing in the First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX).

With an expense ratio of 0.61%, the FPX tracks hot IPOs, giving investors access to new stocks during their initial, most crucial days on the market. By buying it, not only can you avoid paying gobs of money for IPOs that may or may not work out, but you’re also being exposed to multiple hot IPOs at the same time at a lesser cost.

Berkshire Hathaway Stock Trading at a Succession Discount

Dec 29, 2025 at 8:32 AM EST

With billionaire Warren Buffett retiring from his role as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, effective at the close of the year, he will be replaced by Greg Abel.

“The attractiveness doesn’t change, we are in strong on Berkshire Hathaway,” said Barbara Goodstein of R-360, as quoted by CNBC. “These investors [ultra-high net worth investors] are seeing the company’s underperformance compared to the S&P 500 this year as a buying opportunity. We call this a succession discount, we think the stock is trading below what it will become because everybody is waiting to see how Greg Abel performs.”

After setting massive records, the major indices are red this morning.

The S&P 500 is down about 21 points. The SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY | SPY Price Prediction) is down about $1.89. The Dow is down 67, with the Nasdaq down 119 points.

Not helping, gold and silver are a bit wobbly this morning.

Gold is down by $70. Silver is down by about $4.10. As investors lock in profits at record highs, and as the U.S. dollar firms slightly. However, we don’t expect weakness in gold and silver to last long. In fact, with geopolitical tensions boiling and expectations of more U.S. interest rate cuts are likely to send both screaming higher again.

“Analysts attribute the surge to a combination of factors, including aggressive central bank buying, strong inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds, persistent geopolitical instability, and demand from investors seeking a hedge against currency volatility and macroeconomic risk,” added Investing.com.

From here, a good number of analysts still say gold could rally above $5,000. Bank of America, for example, is targeting $5,000 by 2026. JPMorgan is targeting $5,055. HSBC analysts are targeting $5,000 by early 2026, too.

The Likely List of the Dogs of the Dow for 2026

After a strong year for the Dogs of the Dow (nine out of 10 returned wins), 2026 may offer some good opportunities, with yield to boot. For the New Year 2026, those making the list include:

Verizon (VZ), which yields 6.84%
Chevron (CVX), which yields 4.56%
Merck (MRK), which yields 3.2%
Procter & Gamble (PG), which yields 2.92%
Amgen (AMGN), which yields 3.04%
Coca-Cola (KO), which yields 2.92%
Nike (NKE), which yields 2.72%
UnitedHealth (UNH), which yields 2.68%
Home Depot (HD), which yields 2.64%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which yields 2.51%

Remember, with this strategy, you buy a basket of underperforming Dow stocks that pay dividends and sell by the end of the year, and repeat year after year.

Wedbush Analyst Bullish on Nvidia Heading into 2026

Wedbush’s Dan Ives says Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) could see $250 by the end of 2026. In fact, he argues that the market is still underestimating how critical NVDA is to AI.

“The reality is there’s one chip in the world, fueling the AI revolution, and that’s Nvidia. And I think as it plays out, numbers are significantly underestimated. I think 15% to 20% at a minimum going into 2026. You put that together, I think we’re looking at a $250 stock in a base case to end 2026,” said Ives, as quoted by Yahoo Finance.