CNBC Daily Open: A banner year for markets in 2025
A trader wears '2026' glasses on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
2025 was a lucrative year for markets, with the S&P 500 rallying 16.39% driven by enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. However, some sectors, like Oracle, weakened as the year ended.
CNBC's end-of-year retrospectives offer a glimpse into the year's market trends:
- Alphabet (Google's parent) emerged as the star of the Magnificent Seven, despite an 18% first-quarter dip, ending the year 65% higher as investors saw Gemini 3 as a ChatGPT competitor.
- The MSCI All Country World Index gained over 21%, with Colombia's stock market leading the pack, surpassing South Korea's AI-rich exchange.
- Gold climbed 64% in 2025, but silver surged 141%, potentially making copper the year's standout performer.
- Retail investors embraced the 'Taco Trade,' buying shares during dips early in the year, outperforming AI stock baskets managed by JPMorgan.
Here's to a fruitful year of trading!
U.S. military action in Venezuela:
The U.S. conducted a military operation that captured President Nicolas Maduro, charging him with narco-terrorism conspiracy. There's confusion over the U.S.'s role in Venezuela's future, with analysts predicting steady energy markets.
U.S. stocks wobble in 2026:
On the first trading day of 2026, the S&P 500 rose 0.19% but later gave up gains. European markets performed well, and Britain's FTSE 100 broke the 10,000 mark.
Chinese EV dominance:
BYD surpassed Tesla as the top EV seller in 2025, with 2.26 million battery-powered car sales, a sign of Chinese EV makers' market dominance.
U.S. labor market data:
The year begins with the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, offering insights into the economy's health and setting the tone for markets in 2026.
SpaceX launch:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried NASA's IMAP mission to study the sun's heliosphere boundary and other scientific payloads in September 2025.
