By Alex Eule

Four To Go. A half day of trading and the lowest volume day of the year did nothing to change 2025's default position: stocks want to go higher.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to its 39th record close of the year. It's the index's first Christmas Eve record since 2013.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit its own record, up 289 points, or 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2%. It's 1.4% off its October peak.

The index's best performance came from Nike. The sneaker and apparel giant got a tech-boost of sorts, after Apple CEO and Nike board member Tim Cook bought $3 million worth of Nike shares. Cook's vote of confidence came after Nike's disappointing earnings report last week. Nike stock is now down only 21% this year.

Nike aside, today's trading stood out from much of 2025 in that it wasn't just tech powered. Some 389 stocks in the S&P 500 finished the day higher, against just 111 decliners.

Investors continue to feel optimistic -- and calm. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, or fear index, finished the day at 13.60, its lowest close in more than a year.

With just four days to go in 2025 trading, the S&P 500 is up 17.9% on the year. Barring a catastrophe, the benchmark index will post its third consecutive annual gain, bringing its total rise over that period to 80%.

For anyone invested in the stock market, it's been a good ride. Happy holidays to all.

The Hot Stock: Nike +4.6% The Biggest Loser: Datadog -2.3%

Best Sector: Consumer Staples +0.8% Worst Sector: Energy -0.3%

The Calendar

Stock and bond markets are closed tomorrow for Christmas.

What We're Reading Today

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   -- Trump's Choice for Fed Chair Matters Less Than This Man 

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December 24, 2025 15:55 ET (20:55 GMT)

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