2026.01.1621:03:19UTC+00Wall Street Ends Flat Amid Fed Uncertainty

On Friday, U.S. stock markets closed largely unchanged, reflecting investors’ attention to various geopolitical events, uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve, and the commencement of the fourth-quarter earnings season. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq showed minimal change, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 80 points. President Donald Trump suggested he might retain economic adviser Kevin Hassett in his current position rather than consider him for the role of Federal Reserve Chair, increasing speculation that former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh could become the leading candidate. Semiconductor stocks lent some support to the market, with companies like Taiwan Semiconductor, Nvidia, and Micron posting gains due to robust earnings, optimism fueled by artificial intelligence, and a promising U.S.–Taiwan trade agreement pledging $250 billion to enhance American production capacities. Meanwhile, the financial sector underperformed, despite delivering strong earnings, affected by concerns over a proposed limit on credit card interest rates. For the week, the S&P 500 saw a slight decline of 0.1%, the Nasdaq dropped by 0.4%, and the Dow remained essentially unchanged.