Stocks are skipping the ‘Santa Claus rally’ again this year. That doesn’t bode well for January. The Fed has two bad options in 2025: accept higher inflation or risk a recession. Natural-gas prices see biggest jump in nearly 3 years, leading oil higher.

Investors are heading into 2025 in an optimistic mood, believing that with the economy on a firm footing and the White House in their corner, the stock market will continue to climb. That wasn’t the case at the start of the year,

Wall Street was on track to open with small gains Tuesday, the final day of trading in what's been a banner year for U.S. markets. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each rose about 0.