US open: Stocks higher ahead of FOMC decision, big‑tech results
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Monday 26 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - Major indices were in the green early on Monday as market participants braced for a big week in terms of both corporate earnings and monetary policy.
As of 1500 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.36% at 49,274.61, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.40% to 6,943.01, and the Nasdaq Composite came out of the gate 0.35% firmer at 23,582.80.
The Dow opened 175.90 points higher on Monday, taking a bite out of losses recorded in the previous session.
US stocks traded higher at Monday's opening bell after what was a soft week for major indices, as heightened geopolitical tensions weighed on sentiment before easing late in the week following Donald Trump's announcement of a "framework" for a deal over Greenland. Trump's threat to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian imports if it makes a trade deal with China were also in focus, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stating he had "no intention" of striking a free trade deal with Beijing.
Traders were also looking to Washington amid growing outrage over federal immigration agents fatally shooting a US citizen in Minnesota for the second time this month. In response, several Democratic senators said they would not approve a $1.2trn funding package if it includes an allotment for Homeland Security, potentially leading to another federal government shutdown.
Investors will now shift their attention to the Federal Reserve this week, with the central bank due to deliver its first policy decision of the year on Wednesday. The Fed is widely expected to leave its benchmark overnight rate unchanged, but traders will be watching closely for any signals on the timing of future cuts.
On the macro front, US durable goods orders rose 5.3% in November, according to the Census Bureau, bouncing back from a revised 2.1% decline in October and beating expectations for a more modest 3.7% increase. November's gain was primarily due to a sharp rebound in transportation equipment orders, which surged 14.7% following a 6.3% drop in October, driven by a 97.6% surge in civilian aircraft bookings. Excluding transportation, however, new orders ticked up just 0.5% after a 0.1% gain in October. Orders excluding defence shot up 6.6%, reversing a 1.3% decline in October.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Federal Reserve's national activity index improved to ‑0.04 in November up from October's ten-month low of ‑0.42 and pointing to a pickup in US economic activity. The production component swung to a +0.08 contribution from a ‑0.26 reading in October, while sales, orders and inventories held steady at ‑0.03. Employment indicators contributed ‑0.07, compared with ‑0.11 in the prior month, and the personal consumption and housing category edged up to ‑0.02 from ‑0.03. The CFNAI diffusion index, a three‑month moving average, also strengthened, improving to ‑0.24 in November, up from ‑0.43 in October.
Still to come, the Dallas Fed's January manufacturing business index will be released at 1530 GMT.
No major corporate earnings were slated for release on Monday, but 'Magnificent Seven' constituents Apple, Meta Platforms and Microsoft will all report earnings before the end of the week.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Dow Jones - Risers
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $76.49 3.53%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $465.86 2.53%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $251.18 2.13%
Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $283.11 1.94%
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) $313.30 1.31%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $295.77 1.14%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $928.43 1.04%
Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $229.91 0.82%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $221.84 0.77%
American Express Co. (AXP) $364.01 0.64%
Dow Jones - Fallers
Boeing Co. (BA) $248.49 -1.45%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $352.55 -1.04%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $621.07 -0.89%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $346.60 -0.53%
Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) $28.12 -0.46%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $64.92 -0.18%
S&P 500 - Risers
Arista Networks Inc. (ANET) $142.60 4.59%
KLA-Tencor Corp. (KLAC) $1,511.40 4.08%
Advance Auto Parts (AAP) $48.59 3.89%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) $62.68 3.76%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $76.49 3.53%
Sba Communications Corp. (SBAC) $189.59 2.80%
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $319.33 2.63%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $465.86 2.53%
Newmont Corporation (NEM) $127.45 2.53%
Oracle Corp. (ORCL) $181.62 2.52%
S&P 500 - Fallers
Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) $36.26 -5.29%
DENTSPLY Sirona Inc. (XRAY) $12.60 -3.04%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) $253.64 -2.72%
Fastenal Co. (FAST) $43.50 -2.67%
Apache Corp. (APA) $25.71 -2.39%
Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) $304.99 -1.93%
United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) $106.73 -1.86%
Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) $523.86 -1.82%
Zions Bancorporation (ZION) $59.29 -1.81%
TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) $13.22 -1.78%
Nasdaq 100 - Risers
KLA-Tencor Corp. (KLAC) $1,511.40 4.08%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $76.49 3.53%
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $319.33 2.63%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $465.86 2.53%
Asml Holdings N.V. (ASML) $1,398.97 2.38%
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) $323.18 2.35%
Workday, Inc. (WDAY) $192.31 2.31%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $251.18 2.13%
Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $218.65 1.91%
Cadence Design Systems Inc. (CDNS) $319.54 1.80%
Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
DENTSPLY Sirona Inc. (XRAY) $12.60 -3.04%
Fastenal Co. (FAST) $43.50 -2.67%
Baidu Inc. (BIDU) $157.88 -2.38%
Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) $304.99 -1.93%
Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) $523.86 -1.82%
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (JBHT) $206.93 -1.53%
Tesla Inc (TSLA) $440.14 -1.33%
Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN) $56.21 -1.30%
Biogen Inc (BIIB) $171.40 -1.29%
Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) $193.04 -1.26%
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