Opening Comment — Monday, January 05, 2026
DJIA: 48,382.39, up 319.10
S&P 500: 6,858.47, up 12.97
NASDAQ: 23,235.63, down 6.36
Stocks higher after U.S. action in Venezuela
Stock futures are higher Monday morning following the U.S. conducting military strikes on Venezuela and capturing President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. Investors are also looking forward to the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM’s) manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for December. As of 7:19 AM ET, the Dow is rising 0.1%, while the S&P 500 is up 0.3%. The Nasdaq 100 is increasing 0.7% relative to fair value on the GLOBEX.
U.S. equities were mostly higher on Friday as the finalized reading of S&P Global’s manufacturing PMI for December remained unchanged at 51.8. The Dow was up 0.7%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was little changed. The S&P 500 increased 0.2% with eight of 11 sectors finishing in positive territory. The Energy sector was the top performer, rising 2.1%, while the Consumer Discretionary sector was the bottom performer, falling 1.1%.
On the data front, ISM’s December manufacturing PMI and the prices paid component are expected to register 48.4 and 58.7, respectively, versus the prior month’s 48.2 and 58.5, respectively.
Across the pond, European stocks are higher in mid-day trading as the U.K.’s mortgage approvals fell less than expected in November.
Overnight in Asia, stocks were mostly higher as Japan’s finalized December manufacturing PMI from S&P Global was revised slightly higher to 50.0. Meanwhile, China’s private December services and composite PMIs came in at 52.0 and 51.3, respectively.
In FOREX trading, the U.S. dollar is higher ahead of today’s U.S. ISM PMI data.
Over in the commodity pits, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is 0.7% higher at $57.71/barrel as events unfold in Venezuela.
In the metals complex, gold is 2.0% higher at $4,420.78/ounce despite a strengthening U.S. dollar.