US Stocks Slouch Into Year End With Nike and Tesla Rallying

US stocks concluded 2025 on a somber note, with the S&P 500 Index closing out the year with a 0.7% loss on Wednesday, hitting near its session low. The breadth of the decline was significant, with only 3 S&P 500 members finishing in positive territory, marking the widest decline since May.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index also experienced a downturn, slipping 0.8%. Similarly, Bloomberg's Magnificent Seven Index, which tracks the performance of the seven largest US technology companies, shed 0.7%. Across the board, all sectors within the S&P 500 ended the day in the red. Concurrently, yields on 10-year Treasuries saw an increase, climbing 5 basis points in the afternoon.

The overall market performance reflected a cautious sentiment among investors as the year drew to a close. The decline across major indices indicated a broad-based pullback, suggesting that the negative sentiment was not isolated to specific sectors or companies. The rise in Treasury yields further contributed to the downward pressure on stocks, as higher yields can make bonds more attractive to investors relative to equities.

While the broader market struggled, individual companies like Nike and Tesla bucked the trend, experiencing rallies that provided some pockets of optimism. However, these individual successes were not enough to offset the overall negative sentiment weighing on the market.

Looking ahead, market participants will be closely monitoring economic data and corporate earnings reports to gauge the potential trajectory of the market in the new year. The performance of key sectors, such as technology and consumer discretionary, will be crucial in determining the overall direction of the market.