Outline:
Dow Jones futures experienced a minor decline early on Monday, whereas S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures saw a small increase. President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the U.S. is “going to run” Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, but kept his government in place.
NvidiaNVDA, Advanced Micro DevicesAMD and Taiwan SemiconductorTSM will be highlighted alongside the CES technology conference in Las Vegas.
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The stock market experienced a challenging week, as major indices approached critical levels to conclude 2025. A slight rebound on Friday morning faced some resistance, although small-cap stocks performed well.
Stocks performed well, particularly on Friday, among them Nvidia, AMD, and Taiwan Semiconductor.SandiskSNDK and Micron TechnologyMU. Did data centers also have a cooling play?Comfort SystemsFIX, AI components maker AmphenolAPH, heavy construction firm MasTecMTZ and turbine maker GE VernovaGEV
Aerospace names like GE AerospaceGE also looked strong.
But Palantir TechnologiesPLTR and AppLovinSell signals were triggered on Friday as the software faces challenges.
TeslaTSLA also showed a sell indication as electric vehicle deliveries fell short of expectations and Elon Musk’s prediction for self-driving robotaxis by the end of 2025.
Among the listed names, Taiwan Semiconductor stock, Amphenol, Comfort Systems, MasTec, GE Vernova, and GE Aerospace were in buying zones on Friday.
Dow Jones Futures Today
Dow Jones futures moved slightly downward compared to fair value. S&P 500 futures increased by 0.3%. Nasdaq 100 futures went up by 0.7%, indicating that the Nasdaq index is expected to rise above its 50-day average when trading begins on Monday.
Crude oil futures increased by 1% following Trump’s actions regarding Venezuela. On Sunday, OPEC+ chose to maintain oil production levels through March during a short video conference.
Silver futures surged, maintaining the recent volatile pattern, as gold and copper remained firmly up.
The 10-year Treasury rate fell to 4.18%.
Keep in mind the action that took place during the nightDow futuresand elsewhere does not necessarily mean actual trading in the next regular sessionstock market session.
Trump: ‘We Will Run’ Venezuela
The U.S. detained Venezuelan President Maduroand his wife Cilia Flores during an early Saturday military operation. They have been sent to New York, where they are confronted with drug and weapon charges.
President Trump stated on Saturday, “We will continue to manage the country until we can ensure a secure, appropriate, and thoughtful transfer of power.”
Nevertheless, he is keeping the Maduro government intact. He anticipates that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who is now serving as president, will comply with his request. Rodríguez stated on Sunday that the United States and Venezuela should focus on establishing a cooperation agreement.
Trump stated that opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, does not have the “support” or “respect” from Venezuela.
President Trump also highlighted the U.S. role in Venezuela’s oil sector.
“We’re going to have our massive American oil companies, the largest in the world, enter the scene, invest billions of dollars, repair the severely damaged oil infrastructure, and begin generating revenue for the nation,” Trump stated during his press conference.
U.S. oil companies, including ChevronCVX, Exxon MobilXOM, ConocoPhilipsCOP and TechnipFMCFTI, were strong premarket performers. Chevron is the sole major oil company operating in Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will maintain a “quarantine” on certain Venezuelan exports to exert pressure on the government to liberalize the sector.
Venezuela possesses the largest confirmed crude oil reserves globally, yet output has declined considerably over recent decades since Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s forerunner, assumed leadership in 1999.
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Stock Market Rally
The stock market surge declined last week, ending the year 2025. Stocks rose in the early hours of Friday to start the new year, with the Dow Jones and particularly small-cap stocks finishing strongly. However, the Nasdaq closed slightly lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 0.7% during last week’s trading.stock market tradingbut regained its 21-day line on Friday. The S&P 500 index dropped 1% but moved slightly above its 21-day line on Friday. The Nasdaq fell 1.5%, failing to recover its 50-day line. The small-cap Russell 2000 declined 1% but recovered from the 50-day line on Friday.
Chips and the wider AI data center sector saw gains on Friday and throughout the week. The aerospace industry is performing well, with GE Aero shares rising 4.1% to 320.75 on Friday, surpassing a previous level of 316.67.flat-base buy point.
Banks and certain other financial institutions are performing well.
Software looks terrible.
The 10-year Treasury yield increased by 5.5 basis points during the week, reaching 4.19%, returning close to four-month peak levels.
U.S. crude oil prices increased by 1% to reach $57.32 per barrel during the previous week.
ETFs
Among growth ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF fell by 4.1% during the last week. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF dropped 5.1%. Palantir is the top holding in IGV, while AppLovin stock is among the top ten positions. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF increased by 2.05%. Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor, and AMD are significant components of SMH.
The ARK Innovation ETF, ARKK, declined by 1.7% during the past week. Tesla shares are the top position in all of ARK Invest’s exchange-traded funds.
The SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETFXME fell by 0.2% during the previous week. The Energy Select SPDR ETFXLE increased by 3.3%, while the Health Care Select Sector SPDR FundXLV decreased by 0.3%. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR FundXLI rose by 0.5%, with GE Aerospace and GE Vernova being key holdings.
The Financial Select SPDR ETF, XLF, declined by 1.2%.
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Nvidia and AMD Leaders Take Center Stage at CES 2026
Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, and AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, are scheduled to deliver keynote addresses on Monday night at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Nvidia’s stock declined 0.9% during the week, closing at 188.85, but showed a minor recovery on Friday above the 50-day average. NVDA stock has a buy point of 212.19, as reported.MarketSurgeThe high on December 26 of 192.69 could present an early opportunity to enter. Prior to the market opening, Nvidia stock increased slightly.
AMD stock increased 4.35% on Friday, reaching 223.47, rebounding from the 21-day average but facing pressure close to the 50-day average. A clear breakthrough above the 50-day average could provide an early opportunity to enter a consolidation phase with a conventional pattern.buy pointof 267.08. In early trading, AMD stock indicated a movement above its 50-day.
Taiwan Semiconductor, the company that produces chips for Nvidia and AMD, will release its December sales figures on Friday, followed by its Q4 earnings report the next week.
TSM stock increased by 5.5% to 319.61 during the previous week, jumping 5.2% on Friday to reach a new peak, breaking through a range that has been in place since mid-October. On Monday morning, the shares went up 3% following a significant increase in the Goldman Sachs price target.
In the meantime, Micron’s stock increased by almost 11% during the week, reaching a new peak. SanDisk surged by almost 16% on Friday, breaking through a near-handle in a fresh, unstable cup formation, with the stock now 24% above its 50-day average. Both Micron and SanDisk saw strong gains on Monday morning.
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Data Center Plays
Comfort Systems’ stock increased by 7.5% to 1,003.65 on Friday, as the AI data center company recovered from the 50-day moving average, providing a preliminary opportunity for investment.
MasTec’s stock increased by 4.7% on Friday, reaching 227.65, and surpassed the 224.03 cup-base purchase level.
Vertiv’s stock increased by 8.4% to reach 175.61, barely reclaiming the 50-day moving average. A clear breakthrough above the 50-day level would cross a downward-sloping trendline just under 180. This AI infrastructure stock is currently at 189.66.double-bottombuy point. Early Monday, VRT shares were climbing to approximately 180
Amphenol’s stock increased by 3.4% to 139.71 on Friday, moving back above the 50-day moving average and reaching an initial entry level of 138.32. APH stock features a 143.48 double-bottom buy point. Amphenol’s earnings and revenue growth have been increasing over multiple quarters due to rising demand for AI data centers.
GE Vernova stock increased by 4% to 679.55. The shares retested a previous consolidation buy point at 677.29. Traders might still consider this as a potential entry point for GEV, even after the negative performance on December 17, or they could choose to wait for a fresh base to develop. The turbine company saw a minor rise in pre-market trading.
Tesla, Palantir, and AppLovin Show Selling Indicators
Tesla shares declined by 7.8% to $438.07 for the week, continuing a losing run that has now lasted seven trading days since the stock reached an all-time high of $498.83 on December 2. TSLA stock attempted to recover on Friday but then fell again, breaking below the 50-day moving average. The electric vehicle leader has generated strong sell indications following the recent level of $474.07.cup-base buy point.
Tesla did not meet Elon Musk’s recent forecast for self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas, by the end of 2025. On Friday,Tesla reported Q4 deliveriesthat overlooked reduced expectations, but energy storage performed well.
Palantir’s stock dropped more than 11% during the week, reaching 167.86, with a 5.6% decline on Friday. The shares fell significantly below a 190.39 cup-with-handle purchase level and the 50-day moving average.
AppLovin’s stock dropped 13.4% to 618.32, with an 8.2% decline on Friday that moved it below the 50-day moving average. APP stock is now significantly under a 675 double-bottom buy point.
In early trading, Tesla increased slightly to near its 50-day average. Apple moved up slightly, while Palantir gained notably, both remaining under their 50-day moving averages.
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What To Do Now
Chip and AI data center stocks are performing well, together with aerospace and certain financial companies. Investors may have taken small positions in these stocks.
However, the stock market continues to encounter challenges following a weak conclusion in 2025 and a varied beginning in 2026. Trump’s actions regarding Venezuela, along with updates from Nvidia, AMD, and other companies at CES, may influence the markets.
Prolonged sideways movement over multiple weeks is generating numerous opportunities. Ensure your watchlists are current.
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