From Nasdaq:

U.S. stocks were sluggish on the final trading day of the year, with S&P 500 reaching close to a record peak. The three main indexes are on track for monthly and quarterly gains, poised for double-digit increases in 2024. The Fed’s aggressive rate hikes has investors betting on rate cuts next year, with 70.1% probability in March. (Reuters)

2023 was marked by aggressive Fed rate hikes, a U.S. banking crisis, AI stocks boom, Israel-Hamas war, and economic concerns that bolstered policy easing bets. The information technology sector lead with a 56.8% gain, while the defensive utilities sector declined by 10.1%. Nvidia and Meta Platforms were the S&P 500 top gainers, eyeing three-fold gains. (Reuters)

The S&P 500 ends the year with optimism, closed at a record high on Thursday, with Nasdaq rebounding from a slump last year. However, the risk of inflation next year could force the Fed to keep interest rates elevated. Markets will be closed on Monday, Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day as investors wind down for the holiday season. At 8:13 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 6 points, S&P 500 e-minis were down 2 points, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 10.5 points. Uber Technologies and Lyft lost 1.1% and 2.7% following a downgrade by Nomura. (Reuters)



Read more: US STOCKS-Wall St eyes muted open on last day of cheery 2023, rate cuts in view