Stocks Drop as the Third Year of the Bull Run Draws to an End – Europe Market Wrap
Stocks are closing a third year of double-digit gains on a sombre note, as an expected festive rally fails to take traction. Silver’s tumultuous ride continued into another session.
Futures for the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% after a string of post-Christmas losses reduced the benchmark’s 2025 gain to over 17%. Technology companies were under fresh pressure in premarket trading, with all of the Magnificent Seven retreating. Nasdaq 100 contracts fell 0.3%. Silver fell after a string of 5%-plus price swings began its fourth day.
Investors have profited handsomely in a market buoyed by confidence about AI’s enormous economic possibilities. However, it has not been a pleasant trip, with traders experiencing swings caused by US trade policy, geopolitical uncertainty, and bouts of worry over inflated values.
Gold and silver dipped on the final trading day of 2025, despite an otherwise successful year for precious metals. After a nearly unstoppable advance throughout the year, the two metals had a series of swings in December, wiping away some gains as investors took profits. Both commodities are on course for their greatest year since 1979.
Oil is on track for its worst yearly loss since the epidemic began in 2020, despite steadily expanding global supplies. Brent remained close to $62 per barrel, with traders looking ahead to the weekend’s OPEC+ summit, a negative US industrial report, and American policy towards Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
