4:17pm: Year off to record-breaking start
US stocks continued to make gains on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 both finishing the day at record highs. The Dow Jones added 1% at 49,462 points, the S&P 500 was up 0.6% at 6,944 points while the Nasdaq added 0.7% at 23,547 points.
"Worries about that and high stock valuations have failed to halt the rally, with bubble fears having been left behind in 2025 for the moment," IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp said.
3:40pm: Proactive news headlines
- Digi Power X Inc (NASDAQ:DGXX, TSX-V:DGX) strengthened its financial position with a 1,150% year-over-year increase in liquidity to ~$100 million as it advances its AI-focused energy and data centre infrastructure.
- Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NYSE-A:OPTT) secured a $5 million contract to deploy four maritime surveillance–equipped PowerBuoy systems for a US Coast Guard mission off San Diego.
- Arizona Gold & Silver Inc (TSX-V:AZS, OTCQB:AZASF) reported strong drill results at its Philadelphia project, including a 60.37-metre interval grading 4.36 g/t gold and 6.38 g/t silver.
- American Resources Corp (NASDAQ:AREC)’s ReElement Technologies will showcase its technology at CES 2026, highlighting its presence in critical minerals, industrial innovation, and digital technology forums.
- Pinnacle Silver & Gold Corp (TSX-V:PINN, OTCQB:PSGCF)’s airborne LiDAR survey at El Potrero confirmed known gold-silver structures and identified new exploration targets across the 11-square-kilometre project.
- Synchronoss Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:SNCR) used CES 2026 to unveil enhancements to its Personal Cloud platform, expand its white-label services, and preview a new group-based digital experience.
- First Phosphate Corp. (CSE:PHOS, OTCQX:FRSPF) received an initial $530,000 pre-payment under an amended offtake agreement, supporting advancement of its Bégin-Lamarche project in Quebec.
- Replenish Nutrients Holding Corp (CSE:ERTH, OTC:VVIVF) transitioned from development to scalable commercial execution in 2025, setting the stage for full-scale production and licensing growth in 2026.
2:30pm: Market movers
- Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER, XETRA:UT8) partnered with Lucid and Nuro to launch a high-end electric robotaxi featuring an Uber-designed in-cabin experience, with autonomous road testing set to begin in the Bay Area.
- Sandisk rebranded its WD_Black solid-state drive lineup as Sandisk Optimus at CES 2026, a move that sent its shares surging more than 23%.
- Oklo shares continued to rally after the US government announced a $2.7 billion program to expand domestic uranium-enrichment capacity, reinforcing investor enthusiasm for the nuclear energy sector.
- Bright Minds Biosciences Inc (CSE:DRUG) jumped nearly 25% after reporting positive topline Phase 2 trial results for BMB-101 in patients with drug-resistant absence seizures and developmental epilepsies.
- Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UA) shares rose after Fairfax Financial Holdings increased its stake to about 22%, deepening its position as a major shareholder in the sports apparel company.
- Digi Power X Inc (NASDAQ:DGXX, TSX-V:DGX) reported a sharp improvement in its financial position, with liquidity rising more than elevenfold year over year as it pivots toward AI-focused energy and data centre infrastructure.
- Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NYSE-A:OPTT) secured a contract worth more than $5 million to deploy PowerBuoy systems in support of a US Coast Guard maritime surveillance mission off the coast of San Diego.
- Arizona Gold & Silver Inc (TSX-V:AZS, OTCQB:AZASF) reported strong new drill results from its Philadelphia project in Arizona, highlighting a broad, high-grade gold and silver mineralized interval.
1:00pm: S&P sees moderate gains
The S&P 500 has started the week with moderate gains, reflecting a cautious yet optimistic market mood. Technology, particularly companies linked to artificial intelligence, continues to lead the index, while energy stocks provide stability amid geopolitical developments, such as recent events in Venezuela.
“The S&P 500 advances are supported by the strength of the technology sector and the renewed prominence of artificial intelligence, with additional backing from the energy sector amid a more complex geopolitical environment," commented Antonio Di Giacomo, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com.
Despite these supportive factors, broader gains are tempered by restrictive monetary policy and investor caution ahead of key US economic data, including the December employment report. Overall, the index is experiencing gradual gains and consolidation, with market participants taking a tactical approach while awaiting clearer signals on growth, interest rates, and geopolitical developments.
11:45am: Geopolitical worries cast aside
It looks like geopolitical worries have been cast aside by Wall Street, as the major indexes are still posting gains on Tuesday.
"Worries about that and high stock valuations have failed to halt the rally, with bubble fears having been left behind in 2025 for the moment," said Chris Beauchamp, IG's chief market analyst.
"Earnings estimates for the coming season have remained robust, pointing towards optimism among investors, while a new record for stock market breadth shows that the rally remains broad-based.”
10:50am: Services sector growth slows
New data on Tuesday showed the US services sector — which employs most Americans — expanding at its slowest pace in eight months.
S&P Global’s US Services PMI came in at 52.5 for December, down from the preliminary 52.9 reading earlier in the month and below economists’ expectations of no change.
The index, which tracks business activity, costs, and employment, still signals growth above 50 but points to a clear slowdown in momentum.
9:55am: Energy, tech stocks lead modest gains
US stocks nudged higher on Tuesday as investors digested geopolitical headlines, fresh tech announcements at CES, and a wave of economic data on the horizon.
The Dow Jones added 32 points to 49,009, the S&P 500 climbed 13 points to 6,915 and the Nasdaq rose 64 points to 23,460.
Small-caps led the charge, with the Russell 2000 up 1.5% at 2,545.
Energy shares got a lift after US plans to invest in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure sparked optimism. Crude briefly topped $58 a barrel, pushing the S&P 500 energy sector to a record high, while defense and rare earth metals stocks also gained on related geopolitical bets. As Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote, noted, “Despite sitting on the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela exports less than 1% of global supply — but the promise of US investment is enough to excite oil stock investors.”
Investors are also eyeing Tuesday’s final S&P Global US services activity reading for December for signs on the economy, with Fed watchers keeping tabs on Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin, who said policy is now within a neutral range and both sides of the Fed mandate remain “bear watching.”
Elsewhere, at CES, tech heavyweights Nvidia and AMD stole the spotlight. Nvidia showcased AI breakthroughs and its new Alpamayo open-source model for autonomous vehicles, while AMD teased the MI500 chip and launched Ryzen AI 400 Series laptops.
With geopolitics, Fed signals, and tech developments all in play, Wall Street is taking a measured approach Tuesday, cautiously balancing opportunities against uncertainty as the week ramps up.
Ahead of the bell: Pause for breath
US stock futures steadied on Tuesday after Monday’s record run, as investors paused to digest fresh signals from the artificial intelligence sector.
Contracts tied to the S&P 500 and Dow Jones hovered around flat, while Nasdaq 100 futures edged lower.
Attention centred on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Nvidia and AMD set out rival visions for the next phase of AI computing.
Nvidia unveiled its Vera Rubin platform and outlined ambitions in humanoid robotics, while AMD showcased its Helios system, promising a significant leap in data-centre performance.
Further updates from Intel, Qualcomm and others are expected to keep the AI trade firmly in focus.
Geopolitics barely registered. Markets largely shrugged off developments in Venezuela, viewing them less as a destabilising force and more as a potential opening for US corporate interests, particularly in energy and defence.
In commodities, copper pushed to fresh highs above $13,000 a tonne, driven by tariff concerns and aggressive stockpiling in the US, leaving global supply increasingly tight.