📉 TL;DR – Last Week in 60 Seconds
Stocks started 2026 with a wobble: higher U.S. Treasury yields kept a lid on risk, and the S&P 500 slipped for the week. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to above 4.19% as investors looked ahead to this week’s U.S. jobs data. Thin holiday trading made moves feel bigger, and big-tech leaders cooled after a strong 2025.
The dollar firmed, while metals took a sharp step down, before recovering over the weekend. Headlines also turned geopolitical: the U.S. struck Venezuela and seized President Nicolás Maduro, but oil stayed relatively calm because supply still looks ample.
Quick Levels → Last week’s change
S&P 500: 6,858.48 | ↓1.03% Nasdaq 100: 25,206.17 | ↓1.71% Dow: 48,382.40 | ↓0.67% Russell 2000: 2,508.22 | ↓1.03% | Gold/oz: $4,332 | ↓4.44% Silver/oz: $72.82 | ↓8.18% Bitcoin (BTC): $91,450 | ↑4.08% DXY (US Dollar Index): 98.43 | ↑0.39% |
🚀 Top Movers Last Week
Source: AST SpaceMobile
Baidu (BIDU) ↑20.43% — Its AI-chip unit Kunlunxin confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, sparked investor excitement.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) ↑16.01% — A successful BlueBird 6 satellite launch kept the direct-to-phone narrative buzzing in 2026 plans.
Symbotic (SYM) ↑11.86% — Analyst price-target hikes followed strong guidance, extending the warehouse-automation rally into January.
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) ↑5.54% — Nvidia sought higher H200 production at TSMC, reinforcing the AI server demand story.
Palantir (PLTR) ↓11.05% — Software sold off as money rotated into chips; profit-taking after a huge 2025.
Tesla (TSLA) ↓7.81% — Shares sank after annual deliveries fell again, losing the EV crown to BYD and raising questions about demand and tax credits.