Dow, S&P 500 Rebound in 2026 Opener; Chip Stocks Soar, No Santa Rally

• Dow and S&P 500 ended higher on the first trading day of 2026, breaking a four-day losing streak, while Nasdaq saw a slight dip.
• Gains were fueled by strong performances from chip makers like Nvidia and Intel, along with industrial giants Boeing and Caterpillar.
• Despite the rebound, market heavyweights Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Tesla experienced losses, tempering overall gains.
• The market missed a "Santa Claus rally" but showed a "buy the dip, sell the rip" mentality, with investors eyeing future Fed policy and potential rate cuts.
• Concerns about Trump's potential tariffs remain, though a recent delay for furniture tariffs boosted related retail stocks.

Why It Matters: Dow, S&P 500 start 2026 higher, driven by chips; Fed policy & tariffs key ahead.