Major US equity indices were higher for the holiday-shortened week. Big tech was mostly higher. Treasuries were narrowly mixed with a bit of curve flattening.

US equities finished mostly lower in Thursday trading, though ended off worst levels. The S&P broke a three-session string of gains (though remains higher WTD). Big tech was mostly weaker with AAPL the notable decliner; software, semis were both somewhat lower overall.

U.S. equities closed modestly higher Wednesday but finished off best levels, with gains led by select mega-cap tech (AMZN, NVDA) while defensives lagged. Oil and precious metals moved sharply higher alongside a stronger dollar and slightly higher Treasury yields amid geopolitical headlines, firmer economic data, and a modestly hawkish tilt in the FOMC minutes. Earnings were mixed, with notable moves in ADI and CDNS on the upside and PANW on the downside, as focus shifts to WMT Thursday and a potential SCOTUS tariff ruling Friday.

US equities finished mostly higher in Tuesday trading, a bit off best levels. There was not much new from a narrative standpoint, but it was another day with a lot more going on beneath the surface. Corporate updates largely underwhelmed, though there was a pickup in M&A and activist developments.

US equities were lower this week with the S&P 500 down for a second-straight week, Nasdaq Composite for a fifth-straight week, and the small-cap Russell 2000 down for the third week in the past four. Software saw a fairly tepid bounce from its recent plunge and elevated volatility amid ongoing AI displacement fears. This week also saw spillover of the AI displacement narrative into other industries, including asset managers, wealth management, trucking, logistics, and commercial real estate.

It was a risk off trading day, with AI increasingly a broader market headwind. The Vix spent some time back above 20 today amid continued underperformance from the Magnificent 7 as investors scrutinize capex and shift from asset-light to asset-heavy names. The unrelenting disruption trade continued, and while software remains ground zero, the disruption has spread to CRE brokers, trucking/logistics, and a number of other areas, often without any incremental headlines or justifications.

US equities finished slightly lower after early strength faded, with large technology stocks under pressure while memory and semiconductor stocks outperformed and software weakened again on artificial intelligence disruption concerns. The January jobs report surprised to the upside. Earnings remained a major driver, with more than two-thirds of the Standard and Poor’s five hundred having reported.

US equities were mixed in Tuesday trading though stocks ended just off worst levels. Stocks were unable to hold onto earlier gains, as the market tilted defensive and rates rallied amid White House efforts to talk down Wednesday's NFP, soft December retail sales, and the latest geopolitical concerns. Financial advisory was the latest group hit by AI competition concerns, though software continued to claw back some of its recent losses.