The Dow Jones (DJIA) is trading higher ahead of the weekend amid falling consumer inflation expectations and a surge in tech stocks.
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Consumer inflation expectations fell for the fourth consecutive month to 4.2%, registering an 11-month low, according to the University of Michigan. Long-run inflation expectations also dropped to 3.2% from 3.4%.
However, overall consumer sentiment is still at a low 52.9, up from 51.0 in November but missing the consensus estimate of 53.5. For context, a reading of 70 or greater signals optimism, while a reading of 60 or below signals pessimism.
“Despite some signs of improvement to close out the year, sentiment remains nearly 30% below December 2024, as pocketbook issues continue to dominate consumer views of the economy,” said Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu. In addition, 63% of consumers expect unemployment to rise during the next year as the unemployment rate rose to a four-year high of 4.6% last month.
In other news, Goldman Sachs still expects stocks to rally as the end of the year approaches. “Barring any major shocks, it will be hard to fight the overwhelmingly positive seasonal period we are entering and the cleaner positioning set-up,” wrote Goldman’s trading desk team in a note to clients. Scott Rubner, Citadel Securities’ Head of Equity and Equity Derivatives Strategy, added that retail investor participation in the market should remain strong in 2026.
The Dow Jones is up by 0.64% at the time of writing.
Which Stocks are Moving the Dow Jones?
Let’s pivot to TipRanks’ Dow Jones Heatmap, which illustrates the stocks that have contributed to the index’s price action.
Nvidia (NVDA) is leading the tech sector higher following reports that the Trump administration has begun reviewing the company’s H200 chips to determine if they are eligible for shipment to China. Earlier this month, President Trump green-lighted the sale of the chips to “approved customers” in China contingent on the U.S. receiving a 25% revenue cut.
Meanwhile, Nike (NKE) is plunging after reporting its FY 2026 second-quarter earnings. The sportswear brand beat on both revenue and adjusted EPS, although its Greater China sales fell by 17% to $1.42 billion.
Elsewhere, all four industrial stocks are trading higher, led by Boeing (BA), while Amazon (AMZN) is up by nearly 1%.
DIA Stock Moves Higher with the Dow Jones
The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) is an exchange-traded fund designed to track the movement of the Dow Jones. As a result, DIA is rising alongside the Dow Jones today.
Wall Street believes that DIA stock has room to rise. During the past three months, analysts have issued an average DIA price target of $537.81, implying upside of 11.47% from current prices. The 30 holdings in DIA carry 29 buy ratings, one hold rating, and zero sell ratings.
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