US Stock Markets End Nearly Flat as Fourth Quarter Earnings Season Begins
Major indexes posted weekly losses as investors rotated away from tech stocks. Financials faced pressure while small caps reached new record highs on Friday.
Insights:
As the fourth-quarter earnings season commenced, US 
USstock markets ended nearly flat on Friday, January 16, 2026. The S&P 500 fell 4.46 points, or 0.06 percent, to finish near the 7,000 level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 83.11 points, or 0.17 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 14.63 points, or 0.06 percent. Over the course of the week, all three major indexes posted losses, with the S&P 500down 0.38 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Averagelower by 0.29 percent, and the Nasdaq Compositesliding 0.66 percent.
USstock markets ended nearly flat on Friday, January 16, 2026. The S&P 500 fell 4.46 points, or 0.06 percent, to finish near the 7,000 level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 83.11 points, or 0.17 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 14.63 points, or 0.06 percent. Over the course of the week, all three major indexes posted losses, with the S&P 500down 0.38 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Averagelower by 0.29 percent, and the Nasdaq Compositesliding 0.66 percent.Despite the broad declines in large-cap benchmarks, the Russell 2000 reached another record closing high on Friday and gained 2.04 percent for the week. This performance underscored a rotation of capital away from heavyweight technology names toward more undervalued areas of the market. Small-cap and mid-cap stocks outperformed the S&P 500during the week, while defensive sectors also gained ground. The Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund , the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund , and the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund led the weekly increases.
