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Weekly Recap | December 15, 2025

Weekly Recap | December 15, 2025

December 15, 2025
Weekly Recap

December 8-12, 2025

Stocks End Mostly Lower

Dow Industrials and Small Cap Outperform
U.S. equities posted mixed results last week along a rotational Big Tech AI to Value theme. Losses intensified later in the week following less-than-ideal earnings outlooks from a pair of AI-related firms. The data stirred broader concerns about heavy corporate capex spending in artificial intelligence. The Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 both registered losses for the week, while the Dow Industrials remained positive, bolstered by the Fed’s mid-week interest-rate cut.

For the Week…
The S&P 500 backpedaled 0.61% despite reaching a new record high earlier in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.10% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 1.61%. Small caps also finished the week higher after reaching a new all-time high on Thursday.

Federal Reserve Cuts Rates
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Fed FOMC policymakers voted 9-3 to lower rates by 0.25% to a target range of 3.50%–3.75%, its third straight reduction. The Fed’s so-called “dot plot” rate outlook table continued to indicate a median projection of one rate cut in 2026, though expectations varied significantly among Fed officials.

Weekly Sector Insights
Five of the eleven S&P 500 sectors posted losses last week, led by Communication Services (-3.16%), Technology (-2.30%) and Utilities (-1.05%). In the plus column, Materials (+2.44%), Financials (+2.32%) and Industrials (+1.38%) gained the most. In year-to-date (YTD) performance, Communication Services (+31.66%), Technology (+23.18%) and Industrials (+20.28%) remain this year’s top gainers while Consumer Discretionary (+6.50%), Consumer Staples (+5.45%) and Real Estate (+3.10%) are up the least. All 11 sectors remain positive on a YTD basis.

Treasury Yields Climb
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes ended the week at 4.190%, up 0.05% from the week prior. Yields rise as prices decline. The U.S. Dollar Index ended little changed for the week despite a large decline on Thursday. Gold futures gained 2.01% to end Friday at $4,328.30 per ounce while U.S. WTI crude oil futures fell sharply last week, ending 4.63% lower at $57.44 per barrel.

The Latest from @CeteraIM

Quarterly Sector Insights

Small Business OptimismRises

Job Openings Stabilized inOctober

Economic Calendar

Monday, December 15
Empire State Manufacturing, Homebuilder Confidence.

Tuesday, December 16
Nov. Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, Hourly Wages, Oct. Retail Sales, S&P flash Services & Manufacturing PIMIs.

Wednesday December 17
Mortgage Activity.

Thursday, December 18
Jobless Claims, Nov. Consumer Price Index (CPI), Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing.

Friday, December 19
Nov. Existing Home Sales, Consumer Sentiment.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index edged higher in November, lifted by higher sales expectations. However, inflation is a growing concern with a net 34% of owners raising prices, the highest since March 2023. The 13 point jump from October's level was the largest 1-month increase on record.

This report is created by Cetera Investment Management LLC. For more insights and information from the team, follow @CeteraIM on X.

About Cetera® Investment Management

Cetera Investment Management LLC (CIM) is a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment adviser owned by Cetera Financial Group® (CFG). CIM provides market perspectives, portfolio guidance, model management, and other investment advice to its affiliated broker-dealers and registered investment advisers.

About Cetera Financial Group

“Cetera Financial Group” (CFG) refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, those that are members FINRA/SIPC; Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (f/k/a Cetera Advisor Networks), Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Those that are Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisers; Cetera Investment Management LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, .CFG is located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.

Avantax Planning PartnersSM is an SEC registered investment adviser within the Aretec Group, Inc. (dba Cetera Holdings). All of the referenced entities are under common ownership

Disclosures

Financial professionals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services.

The material contained in this document was authored by and is the property of CIM. CIM provides investment management and advisory services to a number of programs sponsored by affiliated and non-affiliated registered investment advisers. Your registered representative and/or investment adviser representative is not registered with CIM and did not take part in the creation of this material. They may not be able to offer CIM portfolio management services.

Nothing in this presentation should be construed as offering or disseminating specific advice to any individual without the benefit of direct and specific consultation with a

financial professional. Information contained herein shall not constitute an offer or a solicitation of any services. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

For more information about CIM, please reference the CIM Form ADV 2A and the applicable ADV 2A for the registered investment adviser your financial professional is registered with. Please consult with your financial professional for their specific firm registrations and available program offerings.

No independent analysis has been performed and the material should not be construed as investment advice. Investment decisions should not be based on this material since the information contained here is a singular update, and prudent investment decisions require the analysis of a much broader collection of facts and context. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The opinions expressed are as of the date published and may change without notice. Any forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, may not materialize, and are subject to revision.

All economic and performance information is historical and not indicative of future results. The market indices discussed are not actively managed. Investors cannot directly invest in unmanaged indices. Please consult your financial professional for more information.

Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, and differences in accounting standards. A diversified portfolio does not assure a profit or protect against loss.

Glossary

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. 

The S&P 500 is an index of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping (among other factors) designed to be a leading indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe.

The NASDAQ Composite Index includes all domestic and international based common type stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a broad based index.

The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership.

The Russell 3000 Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market.

The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index. It includes approximately 800 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. 

The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index, which was originally called the Lehman Aggregate Bond Index, is a broad based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, US dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes Treasuries, government–related and corporate debt securities, MBS (agency fixed-rate and hybrid ARM pass-throughs), ABS and CMBS (agency and non-agency) debt securities that are rated at least Baa3 by Moody’s and BBB- by S&P. Taxable municipals, including Build America bonds and a small amount of foreign bonds traded in U.S. markets are also included. Eligible bonds must have at least one year until final maturity, but in practice the index holdings have a fluctuating average life of around 8.25 years.

The Bloomberg US Corporate High Yield Index measures the USD-denominated, non-investment grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bond market. Securities are classified as high yield if the middle rating of Moody's, Fitch, and S&P is Ba1/BB+/BB+ or below, excluding emerging market debt. Payment-in-kind and bonds with predetermined step-up coupon provisions are also included. Eligible securities must have at least one year until final maturity, but in practice the index holdings has a fluctuating average life of around 6.3 years. 

The Bloomberg US Municipal Bond Index covers the USD-denominated long-term tax exempt bond market. The index has four main sectors: state and local general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, insured bonds, and prerefunded bonds. Eligible securities must be rated investment grade (Baa3/BBB- or higher) by Moody’s and S&P and have at least one year until final maturity.

The MSCI EAFE Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets (Europe, Australasia, Far East) excluding the U.S. and Canada. The Index is market-capitalization weighted.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is designed to measure equity market performance in global emerging markets. It is a float-adjusted market capitalization index.

The Bloomberg Commodity Index is a broadly diversified index that measures 22 exchange-traded futures on physical commodities in five groups (energy, agriculture, industrial metals, precious metals, and livestock), which are weighted to account for economic significance and market liquidity. No single commodity can comprise less than 2% or more than 15% of the index; and no group can represent more than 33% of the index.

 The S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index is a sub-index of the S&P GSCI, provides investors with a reliable and publicly available benchmark for investment performance in the crude oil market.

 The S&P GSCI Gold Index, a sub-index of the S&P GSCI, provides investors with a reliable and publicly available benchmark tracking the COMEX gold futures market.

The U.S. Dollar Index is a weighted geometric mean that provides a value measure of the United States dollar relative to a basket of major foreign currencies. The index, often carrying a USDX or DXY moniker, started in March 1973, beginning with a value of the U.S. Dollar Index at 100.000.