Dow Jones futures slip due to profit-taking, geopolitical uncertainty
- Dow Jones futures decline as profit-taking and lingering economic and geopolitical uncertainty weigh on sentiment.
- The Dow Jones hit a record high, rising 1.23% on energy and financial gains after Trump urged investment in Venezuela’s Oil sector.
- The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose 0.64% and 0.69%, led by tech gains as Tesla and Amazon advanced.
Dow Jones futures decline by 0.12% to trade near 49,150 during the European session on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 remains flat around 6,940, and the Nasdaq 100 futures gained 13% to trade above 25,600. Dow futures fall as traders may be taking profits or adjusting positions. Moreover, lingering uncertainty over economic and geopolitical developments and mixed market signals is weighing on the index.
The Dow Jones climbed 1.23% to a fresh record high on Monday, driven by strong gains in energy and financial stocks after President Donald Trump encouraged US companies to invest in Venezuela’s vast Oil sector. Chevron jumped 5.1%, and Goldman Sachs rose 3.7%, leading the index higher.
Wall Street advanced in regular US trading on Monday as investors largely brushed aside geopolitical risks following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose 0.64% and 0.69%, respectively, supported by gains in technology stocks, with Tesla climbing 3.1% and Amazon adding 2.9%.
Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said inflation remains too high, though it is gradually easing. Speaking to CNBC on Monday, Kashkari noted the Fed is likely near a neutral rate, warned the unemployment rate could rise from here, and said he expects the economy to remain resilient. Traders await the US labor market report this week, including the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report, for signals on the monetary policy outlook. The consensus forecast sees NFP rising by 55,000 jobs.
The US ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) declined for a third straight month, slipping to 47.9 in December 2025, the lowest since October 2024, from 48.2 in November and below expectations of 48.3. The data indicate a faster contraction in US manufacturing activity, driven by declines in production and inventories.
Dow Jones FAQs
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, one of the oldest stock market indices in the world, is compiled of the 30 most traded stocks in the US. The index is price-weighted rather than weighted by capitalization. It is calculated by summing the prices of the constituent stocks and dividing them by a factor, currently 0.152. The index was founded by Charles Dow, who also founded the Wall Street Journal. In later years it has been criticized for not being broadly representative enough because it only tracks 30 conglomerates, unlike broader indices such as the S&P 500.
Many different factors drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The aggregate performance of the component companies revealed in quarterly company earnings reports is the main one. US and global macroeconomic data also contributes as it impacts on investor sentiment. The level of interest rates, set by the Federal Reserve (Fed), also influences the DJIA as it affects the cost of credit, on which many corporations are heavily reliant. Therefore, inflation can be a major driver as well as other metrics which impact the Fed decisions.
Dow Theory is a method for identifying the primary trend of the stock market developed by Charles Dow. A key step is to compare the direction of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA) and only follow trends where both are moving in the same direction. Volume is a confirmatory criteria. The theory uses elements of peak and trough analysis. Dow’s theory posits three trend phases: accumulation, when smart money starts buying or selling; public participation, when the wider public joins in; and distribution, when the smart money exits.
There are a number of ways to trade the DJIA. One is to use ETFs which allow investors to trade the DJIA as a single security, rather than having to buy shares in all 30 constituent companies. A leading example is the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA). DJIA futures contracts enable traders to speculate on the future value of the index and Options provide the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell the index at a predetermined price in the future. Mutual funds enable investors to buy a share of a diversified portfolio of DJIA stocks thus providing exposure to the overall index.
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