Equity Markets Little Changed Intraday in Year's Penultimate Session

02:17 PM EST, 12/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were largely unchanged intraday in the penultimate session of the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1% at 48,415.8 after midday Tuesday. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were just below the flatlines at 6,905.6 and 23,467.4, respectively. Among sectors, financials saw the biggest decline, while energy paced the gainers.

US markets will be closed Thursday for New Year's Day, reopening Friday.

The Federal Reserve was scheduled to release minutes of its December monetary policy meeting at 2 pm ET. At the meeting, the central bank lowered its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, marking a third straight cut of that size amid ongoing job market worries.

In economic news, activity in Texas' services sector continued to contract in December, though less than expected, amid near-zero readings for employment and part-time employment, the Dallas Fed said Tuesday.

"Labor market measures suggested little change in employment while prices and wages increased at about the same pace as in November," said Isabel Brizuela, Dallas Fed business economist. "Perceptions of broader business conditions continued to worsen slightly though expectations regarding future service sector activity remained positive."

US home prices increased sequentially in October, though the annual growth rate was among the weakest since the middle of 2023, S&P Global (SPGI) division S&P Dow Jones Indices said.

Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said that home prices advanced 0.4% sequentially in October, following a 0.1% decline the previous month. Prices climbed 1.7% on a yearly basis.

US Treasury yields were mixed intraday, with the 10-year rate up one basis point at 4.13% and the two-year rate falling 1.1 basis points to 3.45%.

In company news, Boeing (BA) shares were up 1.8%, the top gainer on the Dow. The planemaker has received an $8.6 billion US military contract to build 25 fighter jets for Israel, the Pentagon said Monday.

Meta Platforms (META) said late Monday it has acquired artificial intelligence startup Manus to help accelerate the rollout of general purpose AI agents for consumers and businesses. The deal is reportedly valued at more than $2 billion. Meta shares were up 1.3% intraday Tuesday.

Tesla's (TSLA) fourth-quarter and full-year vehicle deliveries are expected to drop on an annual basis and fall short of expectations, according to a company-compiled consensus of sell-side analysts released Monday. The electric vehicle maker's shares were down 0.2% intraday Tuesday.

Silver futures surged Tuesday, rebounding along with gold following a selloff the day before while copper also advanced, as volatile trade continued for the metals that hit record peaks in the final stretch of 2025.

Silver futures were last up 9.9% at $77.41 per ounce. It retreated Monday after touching a record above $80. Gold futures were last up 0.9% at $4,383.30 per ounce.

Precious metals have led gains in commodities this year, with their safe-haven appeal boosted amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, Wells Fargo Investment Institute said in a report.

"2025 was undoubtedly a volatile year for financial markets, as uncertainties around economic conditions, geopolitics, and evolving trade policies were common headlines," Mason Mendez, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, wrote in the note. "Commodities emerged, though, as an effective hedge against many of these risks."

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.1% at $58.04 a barrel intraday.

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