Although the federal government shutdown has been over for a month and a half, most of the data that has been released has lagged badly, especially including data on sales, spending, and business orders.

The Santa Claus rally has faded to start the last week of 2025, as profit taking grips Wall Street.

Silver's explosive rally is grabbing headlines, but don't forget gold, which is also surging to record highs.

US equities kicked off the final trading week of 2025 with a bit of a whimper, despite holding close to record highs. The truncated trading week will face a hiccup with a holiday closure on the cards later in the week.

Natural gas is still up and down on weather reports and the perception of liquefied natural gas exports.