Wall Street Starts 2026 Strong

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Find out what happening right now and get all the pieces of the puzzle on important data activity before the major news sources break the story and see what are the trends
 

•  02 Jan 2026
 

•   ASML  
   
  -0.01%
•   BIDU  
   
  +0.51%
•   BYD  
   
  +0.01%
•   INTC  
   
  +1.84%
•   LI  
   
  -0.35%

Wall Street opened 2026 on a positive note after the holiday break, sending a clear message to traders and investors who came into the new year alert but cautious. The Nasdaq climbed about 1.3%, the S&P 500 added roughly 0.7%, and the Dow hovered near flat, setting an optimistic tone after a strong 2025 in which the S&P 500 delivered a solid annual return of about 16.4%. For many market participants, this early green start feels less like excitement and more like relief that momentum did not fade with the calendar change.

Bond markets also offered some comfort. U.S. Treasury yields edged lower, with the 10-year around 4.16% and the 2-year near 3.47%. This easing in yields matters to equity investors who remain sensitive to rates after a volatile year shaped by inflation fears, AI-driven enthusiasm, and sharp macro headlines. Later in the session, final PMI data and the Federal Reserve balance sheet update were in focus, as traders looked for confirmation that growth can remain steady without renewed pressure on rates.

$INTC opens the year with a sharp 7.5% jump, catching the attention of traders who have waited a long time for a real confidence signal. Nvidia roughly $5 billion share purchase is being read less as a trade and more as strategic validation. With CES 2026 approaching and expectations building around the Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake processors, investors are starting to ask whether Intel can finally reassert itself in advanced chips and AI workloads after years of skepticism.

$BIDU surges more than 12%, becoming the clear headline mover of the session. The catalyst is the confidential filing for a Hong Kong IPO of its AI chip unit, Kunlunxin. For the market, this is about unlocking value that has long been buried inside the broader Baidu story. Analysts see the potential spin-off as a way to improve funding flexibility and sharpen focus on AI, which explains why sentiment flipped so quickly from cautious to optimistic.

$ASML trades sharply higher after an upgrade to “buy” reinforcing the idea that the backbone of the AI boom is still intact. Demand for EUV lithography tools remains strong as chipmakers expand capacity for advanced nodes. For long-term investors, ASML continues to represent infrastructure-level exposure to AI, less dependent on short-term product cycles and more tied to multi-year capital spending plans.

$TSLA stays in focus even as delivery data point to a year-over-year decline. The resilience highlights a deeper shift in investor thinking. More participants now view Tesla as an AI and robotics platform rather than a pure carmaker, with robotaxis and autonomous systems seen as the real long-term drivers. For traders, deliveries still matter, but they are no longer the full story.

$NIO jumps after reporting strong December deliveries, reinforcing confidence that Chinese EV demand remains active despite pricing pressure. The numbers matter because they suggest momentum heading into 2026, at a time when investors are carefully separating companies with real volume growth from those relying on incentives.

$XPEV posts gains as steady monthly delivery growth and a strong annual increase keep it on the radar of growth-focused investors. The stock reflects a market that is willing to reward execution, even in a competitive and crowded EV landscape.

$LI rises despite weaker December deliveries, showing how expectations and positioning often matter more than a single data point. Investors appear focused on margins, product mix, and the ability to stabilize performance in a tougher demand environment.

$BYD edges higher even after reporting a decline in December sales, reminding the market that scale still matters. As the world largest EV maker, BYD continues to be viewed through a long-term lens, where global reach and manufacturing power outweigh short-term fluctuations.

$NEM benefits from rising gold and silver prices as investors reopen 2026 with a renewed interest in safe-haven assets. After a powerful run in precious metals last year, miners like Newmont remain closely tied to expectations for geopolitical risk and future rate cuts.

$WDC extends its momentum after finishing 2025 as the top-performing stock in the S&P 500. For traders, it remains a rare example of a deep turnaround that turned into sustained strength, keeping both momentum and value investors engaged.

$VRT climbs following an analyst upgrade, supported by its exposure to AI data centers and digital infrastructure. After a volatile 2025, the stock is increasingly seen as a leveraged play on continued investment in power, cooling, and capacity expansion.

$OTLK collapses after the FDA rejected approval of its lead eye treatment, delivering a hard reminder of regulatory risk in small-cap biotech. Even with international sales, the U.S. decision reshapes the investment case almost overnight.

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