Markets Wrap Quiet Session Ahead of Christmas Holiday

U.S. equity markets delivered a mixed performance during a shortened trading session on December 24, 2025, as investors positioned their portfolios ahead of the Christmas holiday closure. Trading volume was notably light, with many major financial institutions operating with skeleton crews.

The S&P 500 edged slightly higher, buoyed by strength in the consumer discretionary sector, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted modest losses. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite showed resilience, closing in positive territory despite early volatility.

Key Market Movements

  • S&P 500: Gained 0.15% to close at 5,850.42
  • Dow Jones: Declined 0.12% to finish at 42,150.67
  • Nasdaq Composite: Rose 0.28% to settle at 18,920.35
  • Russell 2000: Small caps underperformed, dropping 0.35%

Market analysts noted that the subdued activity reflected typical year-end patterns, with many institutional investors having already completed their annual rebalancing. "Today's session was more about housekeeping than major positioning," commented Sarah Chen, chief market strategist at Wellington Advisors. "The real test will come next week when full volume returns and we get the final economic data points of 2025."

Sector Performance and Notable Stocks

Consumer discretionary stocks led gainers, rising 0.8% as last-minute holiday shopping data showed stronger-than-expected retail activity. Technology shares advanced 0.4%, while energy stocks declined 1.2% amid falling crude oil prices.

Individual stock movers included:

  • Amazon (AMZN): +1.2% on robust holiday sales projections
  • Tesla (TSLA): -0.8% following analyst downgrade
  • Microsoft (MSFT): +0.6% after cloud services announcement
  • Walmart (WMT): +0.9% on strong in-store traffic data

Treasury yields were largely unchanged, with the 10-year note holding at 3.85%. The U.S. dollar index strengthened slightly against major currencies, while gold prices dipped 0.3% to $2,150 per ounce.

Markets will remain closed on December 25 for Christmas Day, with normal trading hours resuming on December 26. Investors will be watching for the weekly jobless claims report and November housing data scheduled for release later in the week.