DOW Jones Pushes Record Higher
The Dow closed up 0.2% at a fresh record, while the S&P 500 edged down 0.2% and the Nasdaq fell 0.5%, as investors balanced weaker consumer data against ongoing scrutiny of AI capital spending.
December retail sales were flat versus expectations for a 0.4% rise, pointing to growing strain among lower and middle income consumers after the holidays and pushing yields lower across the curve, with markets still pricing more than two Federal Reserve cuts this year. Retail stocks underperformed, with Costco down 2.6% and Walmart lower by 1.8%. Financials also lagged after the rollout of AI driven advisory tools raised competitive concerns, sending LPL Financial and Charles Schwab tumbling 8.3% and 7.4%, respectively.
Technology was mixed, with Alphabet down 1.8% despite strong demand for its bond issuance, while chipmakers paused after recent gains. Offsetting some weakness, Spotify surged 14.8% on strong earnings and user growth.
Source: Tradingeconomics.com
