Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday, boosted by optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) and a strong rally in Moderna shares, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average approaching a record high.
Moderna jumped almost 11% after BofA Global Research raised its price target, lifting the S&P 500 healthcare index by 1.96%. Memory and storage technology stocks also surged following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on upcoming AI processors. SanDisk rose 27%, Western Digital 17%, Seagate 14%, and Micron 10%, all hitting record highs. The PHLX chip index gained 2.75%, bringing its early 2026 gains to roughly 8%.
Investors are awaiting fresh U.S. economic data as the effects of a 43-day federal government shutdown fade.
Key reports this week include ADP job figures and job openings on Wednesday (7 January), followed by December’s official employment report on Friday. Weaker-than-expected data could bolster arguments for central bank rate cuts.
The S&P 500 ended up 0.62% at 6,944.82 points, the Nasdaq gained 0.65% to 23,547.17, and the Dow rose 0.99% to 49,462.08. Trading volumes were relatively heavy, with 18.7 billion shares changing hands compared with a 20-session average of 16.1 billion.
Energy shares slipped after strong prior gains, with Exxon Mobil down 3.4% and Chevron 4.5%. Concerns over cooling demand for data centres following Nvidia’s AI chip comments saw Johnson Controls fall 6.2% and Trane Technologies 2.5%. AIG shares tumbled 7.5% after CEO Peter Zaffino announced his resignation.
Within the S&P 500, advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a ratio of more than three to one, with 62 new highs and 8 new lows. The Nasdaq recorded 126 new highs and 42 new lows.
A U.S. immigration agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis on Wednesday, local and federal officials said, amid an expande...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United States to target Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, with an op...
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will stop defence contractors from paying dividends or buying back shares until weapons production speeds up, crit...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he will meet Danish leaders next week, signalling that Washington is not retreating from President Donald Tru...
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to China later this month, marking the first visit by a Canadian leader since 2017....
A U.S. immigration agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis on Wednesday, local and federal officials said, amid an expanded immigration enforcement operation ordered by President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United States to target Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, with an operation similar to the recent U.S. action that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will stop defence contractors from paying dividends or buying back shares until weapons production speeds up, criticising the industry for delays and high costs.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he will meet Danish leaders next week, signalling that Washington is not retreating from President Donald Trump’s stated goal of acquiring Greenland, despite mounting concern among European allies.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
"Change is coming to Iran" according to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday (6 January). He warned Iran that "if you keep killing your people for wanting a better life, Donald Trump is going to kill you."
U.S. oil major Chevron and private equity firm Quantum Capital Group are reportedly preparing a joint bid to acquire Lukoil’s international assets, as the sanctioned Russian energy company seeks to divest its overseas operations.
The U.S. dollar's share of global reserves fell to nearly 40% at the end of 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which says it's 10% lower than at the start of 2024. However, gold has risen and overtaken the dollar to be above 50% in global reserves according to the IMF data.
The U.S. dollar has strengthened against major peers on Tuesday, while the euro fell following slower-than-expected inflation in Europe. Market movements were relatively subdued as investors focused on upcoming U.S. economic data.
India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colombian crude, from state oil company Ecopetrol, for the first time.
China has given the nod for car makers to sell Level 3 self-driving vehicles from as early as next year after it approved two electric sedans from Changan Auto and BAIC Motors.
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