Market Roundup: What Happened Yesterday and What Awaits Us Today (January 8)

Sharp Volatility on Wall Street After Historic Highs… Markets Await New Signals Amid Oil and Jobs Pressures

US stock indices mostly ended Wednesday lower, after both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 failed to hold onto their historic gains made earlier in the session.

The Dow Jones index fell 0.9%, the S&P 500 declined 0.3%, and the Nasdaq bucked the trend, rising 0.2%.

This performance followed strong gains in the first two days of the week, driven by recent geopolitical developments following the announcement of the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which pushed the Dow Jones above 49,000 for the first time in its history.

On Tuesday evening, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the transitional authorities in Venezuela would deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality oil to the United States.

CNBC reported Wednesday morning that Venezuelan oil exports to the United States will continue indefinitely, as sanctions are eased.

Despite this news, oil prices declined, with West Texas Intermediate crude falling 1.7% to $56.15 a barrel at the close. In contrast, Valero Energy shares rose to an all-time high, ending the session up nearly 3%.

In the bond market, the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds fell to 4.14% from 4.17% in the previous session, as investors digested economic data showing a slowdown in private-sector job growth and the number of unemployed exceeding job openings for the first time in four years.

Gold fell 0.6% to $4,470 an ounce after earlier approaching its all-time high.

Bitcoin's price also fell back to around $90,900 after reaching higher levels during the session, while the US dollar index rose slightly to 98.69.

In the stock market, data storage companies experienced sharp profit-taking following strong gains in the previous session, while chip stocks performed mixed.

Intel's stock stood out as the best performer during the session, rising more than 6%, and Strategy's stock also rose after MSCI announced that it would not exclude digital-asset treasury companies from its indices.

Market expectations for the performance of global financial markets today

As for today's forecast, market volatility is likely to continue with a cautious tendency to take profits, especially after new record highs were reached.

Oil prices may remain under pressure amid concerns about rising supply, while bond yields and the dollar are expected to remain within narrow ranges pending additional economic data.

Gold and Bitcoin may exhibit sideways movement with a tendency toward correction, while the technology sector remains sensitive to new developments in artificial intelligence or corporate results.