by MarketNewsData
  1. Wall Street ended 2025 positively, with the S&P 500 gaining 16.39%, the Nasdaq Composite surging 20.36%, and the Dow advancing 12.97%. The year marked a rebound from early turmoil caused by low-cost AI initiatives from China and Trump’s tariffs, as reported by CNBC.
  2. The S&P 500 fell nearly 19% in April 2025 from its peak in February, avoiding bear-market territory. However, trade tensions eased, leading to a market recovery. Three Fed rate cuts in 2025 totaling three-quarters of a percentage point set the stage for a controlled outlook in 2026, according to Zacks.
  3. Gold and silver hit all-time highs in 2025 due to trade disputes and economic slowdown fears. A weaker dollar supported higher metal prices, leading to significant gains in gold and silver mining ETFs, with SPDR Gold Trust, VanEck Gold Miners ETF, iShares Silver Trust, and iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF all showing strong performance.
  4. The longest U.S. government shutdown in 2025 halted fourth-quarter economic progress. Lasting from October 1 to November 12, the shutdown impacted the market’s winning momentum, as highlighted by Zacks.
  5. AI has been a driving force in the market for three years, with concerns of overvaluation arising in 2025. NVIDIA saw modest gains and became the first company to achieve a $5 trillion market cap. AI categories contributed 37% to the real GDP growth of the United States in the first nine months of 2025, according to Barron’s.
  6. International stocks outperformed U.S. markets in 2025, driven by solid European fundamentals and wide valuation gaps. Policy easing in the Eurozone boosted Eurozone ETFs, while Japan’s rate hikes did not hinder the gains in iShares MSCI Japan ETF. The election of Prime Minister Takaichi in October 2025 raised hopes for fiscal stimulus.
  7. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin had a seesaw year in 2025, with prices fluctuating. The cryptocurrency space saw strength from Trump’s election, with an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the U.S. iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF experienced losses over the year, as per Zacks.

Read more at Nasdaq: Top ETF Stories of 2025

More Live News