US financial markets will close early on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, at 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and will be closed on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25. Normal trading hours will resume on Friday, December 26.

Wall Street stocks were mostly flat early Wednesday, a break after a record-setting session supported by strong U.S. economic data.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,913.04, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 48,516.22, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.1% to 23,544.20.

Investors are now looking for a traditional “Santa Claus” rally heading into 2026, a period that often sees markets higher due to thin trading and limited economic triggers.

As the focus remains on the health of the US economy and the Federal Reserve’s next policy move, investors largely expect rates to remain unchanged at the January meeting.

Recent data points to elevated inflation and fragile consumer confidence amid continued price pressures. The labor market has shown signs of cooling, with retail sales softening, although weekly jobless claims fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels.