Stock Market Live December 29, 2026: S&P 500 (SPY) Red Heading into 2026

After setting massive records, the major indices are red this morning.

The S&P 500 is down about 21 points. The SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY) is down about $1.89. The Dow is down 67, with the Nasdaq down 119 points.

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Not helping, gold and silver are a bit wobbly this morning. 

Gold is down by $70. Silver is down by about $4.10. As investors lock in profits at record highs, and as the U.S. dollar firms slightly. However, we don’t expect weakness in gold and silver to last long. In fact, with geopolitical tensions boiling and expectations of more U.S. interest rate cuts are likely to send both screaming higher again.

“Analysts attribute the surge to a combination of factors, including aggressive central bank buying, strong inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds, persistent geopolitical instability, and demand from investors seeking a hedge against currency volatility and macroeconomic risk,” added Investing.com. 

From here, a good number of analysts still say gold could rally above $5,000. Bank of America, for example, is targeting $5,000 by 2026. JPMorgan is targeting $5,055. HSBC analysts are targeting $5,000 by early 2026, too.

The Likely List of the Dogs of the Dow for 2026 

After a strong year for the Dogs of the Dow (nine out of 10 returned wins), 2026 may offer some good opportunities, with yield to boot. For the New Year 2026, those making the list include:

• Verizon (VZ), which yields 6.84%
• Chevron (CVX), which yields 4.56%
• Merck (MRK), which yields 3.2%
• Procter & Gamble (PG), which yields 2.92%
• Amgen (AMGN), which yields 3.04%
• Coca-Cola (KO), which yields 2.92%
• Nike (NKE), which yields 2.72%
• UnitedHealth (UNH), which yields 2.68%
• Home Depot (HD), which yields 2.64%
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which yields 2.51%

Remember, with this strategy, you buy a basket of underperforming Dow stocks that pay dividends and sell by the end of the year, and repeat year after year.

Wedbush Analyst Bullish on Nvidia Heading into 2026

Wedbush’s Dan Ives says Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) could see $250 by the end of 2026. In fact, he argues that the market is still underestimating how critical NVDA is to AI.

“The reality is there’s one chip in the world, fueling the AI revolution, and that’s Nvidia. And I think as it plays out, numbers are significantly underestimated. I think 15% to 20% at a minimum going into 2026. You put that together, I think we’re looking at a $250 stock in a base case to end 2026,” said Ives, as quoted by Yahoo Finance.