S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.14%) slipped 0.13% to 6,896.45, Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.24%) fell 0.24% to 23,419.08, and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.20%) eased 0.20% to 48,367.05 in quiet, year-end trading near record territory.
Market movers
Industrial bellwether Boeing (BA +0.57%) gained around 0.6% as industrials outperformed, while healthcare insurer Molina Healthcare (MOH +2.47%) jumped roughly 2.5% on positive investor commentary; semiconductor name AXT (AXTI +8.36%) and bank OceanFirst Financial (OCFC 6.38%) also featured among notable individual movers, contributing to mixed breadth.
What this means for investors
The penultimate trading day of 2025 was a relatively quiet one. As markets close out the year at, or near, record highs, some investors are shifting money into more economically sensitive areas with perceived value stocks.
That makes sense after three consecutive very strong years for equities. High-flying tech stocks may be due for a correction, after all.
Big movers today included Molina Healthcare (MOH +2.47%)after "Big Short" investor Michael Burry advised going long on the healthcare name. Boeing rose following an announcement that the aerospace leader was a U.S. Air Force contract worth about $8.5 billion to build fighter jets for the Israeli Air Force.
Semiconductor names Intel (INTC +1.66%)and AXT, as well as OceanFirst Financial each also made notable moves today. OceanFirst plunged 6.7% after the bank holding company announced a merger agreement and a new strategic investment partner.
Tomorrow will be a normal equity trading session alongside an early bond-market close. Markets will then be closed on New Year's Day.
