If you’re checking your 401(k) or brokerage app today, Sunday, January 18, 2026, you might notice something weird: the numbers aren't moving. Since it's Sunday, the major U.S. exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are closed. But honestly, "closed" is a bit of a misnomer in 2026. While the big bells aren't ringing, the "weekend markets" and global sentiment are currently screaming.
Did stocks go up today in the literal sense? No, because the official trading day hasn't happened yet. However, if you look at the "Weekend Wall Street" indices and the futures markets, things are looking pretty rocky for the upcoming week. Investors are currently processing a massive geopolitical bombshell: President Trump’s recent threat to slap 25% tariffs on several European allies—including the UK, France, and Germany—over his ambition to acquire Greenland.
The Weekend Vibe Shift
While you were likely grabbing coffee or heading to the gym, professional traders were staring at IG’s weekend markets. They aren't looking great. The "Weekend Dow" is currently indicating a drop of about 0.5% for when the U.S. reopens. Over in London, the FTSE 100 is bracing for a nearly 1% slide.
It’s a classic "risk-off" move.
When traders get spooked by talk of trade wars and NATO tensions, they dump stocks and run for cover. Today, that "cover" is gold and silver. Gold is hovering near an eye-watering $4,625 an ounce. Silver? It’s basically the star of the show lately, trading around $90. If you have a pile of old silver coins in your drawer, you’re basically the smartest person in the room right now.
Did Stocks Go Up Today? Tracking the Recent Momentum
To understand where we’re going tomorrow, you've gotta look at how we finished the actual trading week on Friday, January 16. It was a mixed bag that left a lot of people scratching their heads.
The S&P 500 finished slightly lower, closing at 6,940.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average followed suit, dipping about 0.17% to end at 49,359.33. It’s funny—a few years ago, the idea of the Dow hitting 50,000 seemed like science fiction, and now we’re basically knocking on the door, yet everyone feels "meh" about it because of the tariff drama.
- S&P 500: 6,940.01 (Down slightly)
- Nasdaq Composite: 23,515.39 (Feeling the tech burn)
- Gold: $4,625 (The safe-haven king)
- Silver: $90.41 (The "poor man's gold" is rich now)
The big story of the last few days hasn't been the total market moving, but what inside the market is moving. We’re seeing a massive rotation. For the last three years, Big Tech—the "Magnificent Seven"—carried the entire world on its back. Now? Not so much. Apple and Meta are both down about 6% just in the first few weeks of 2026. Investors are getting bored of the same old AI promises and are hunting for value in "boring" sectors like industrials and materials.
Why the "Magnificent Seven" Are Losing Their Spark
You’ve probably heard people say that Nvidia and Microsoft are "too big to fail," but the market is proving that they're at least "too big to keep growing at 100% a year."
The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF is on track for its longest losing streak since 2023. It’s not that these companies are doing poorly—Microsoft is still making money hand over fist—it’s just that the valuation has reached a point where the math doesn't make sense to new buyers.
Honestly, it’s kinda healthy.
When only seven stocks are going up, the market is brittle. When the "other 493" stocks in the S&P 500 start to rise, the bull market actually has legs. That’s what we’re seeing right now. Small-cap stocks and mid-sized industrial firms are finally getting some love, even as the Nasdaq feels a bit of a hangover.
The Greenland Factor and the 2026 Trade War
The reason people are asking did stocks go up today with such urgency is the tariff news. The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed last year gave the economy a sugar high by extending tax cuts, but the new 25% tariff threats on European allies are the sour aftertaste.
Tony Sycamore, a lead analyst at IG, noted today that this is creating a "risk-off" sentiment that is boosting gold and silver while dragging down equity futures. It’s a game of chicken. Does the administration actually want the tariffs, or is it a leverage play for the Greenland negotiations?
The market hates not knowing.
Uncertainty is worse than bad news. If the market knows a tariff is coming, it prices it in and moves on. If it thinks a tariff might come, it just wobbles and bleeds. That’s where we are this Sunday.
What to Watch for on Monday and Tuesday
Since tomorrow, Monday, January 19, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. markets will remain closed. This gives everyone an extra 24 hours to obsess over the news.
- Earnings Season: We’re right in the middle of it. The big banks—JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley—actually reported pretty solid numbers last week. They’re seeing a lot of deal-making and loan demand.
- The Fed Independence: There’s a lot of chatter about the Justice Department looking into the Federal Reserve's independence. This is a huge "under the radar" story. If investors think the Fed is becoming a political tool, they’ll demand higher yields on bonds, which usually makes stocks drop.
- The AI Infrastructure Trade: While "software" AI (like Meta) is struggling, "hardware" AI is still booming. Lumen Technologies has been a monster lately, up nearly 9% already this year because of their "Private Connectivity Fabric" tech. People still need the pipes that the AI runs through.
Actionable Insights for Your Portfolio
So, what do you actually do with this info? Checking your balance every ten minutes on a Sunday won't change the numbers, but you can prepare for the Tuesday open.
- Check your "Magnificent Seven" exposure. If you’re purely in an S&P 500 index fund, you’re 35% concentrated in just seven stocks. In a year where tech is "out" and value is "in," you might want to look at equal-weighted ETFs (like RSP) to smooth out the ride.
- Don't ignore the shiny stuff. Gold at $4,600 and Silver at $90 isn't just a bubble; it’s a signal. Central banks are dumping Treasuries and buying physical metal. It might be time to ensure your "safe haven" allocation is actually safe.
- Watch the 10-Year Treasury Yield. It’s sitting around 4.23% right now. If that starts creeping toward 4.5% because of the tariff news, expect stocks to feel the gravity. Higher yields mean more expensive debt for companies, which eats into profits.
- Stay calm through the holiday. Weekend markets are notorious for "over-reacting" because the volume is low. Don't make a panic trade on Tuesday morning based on what happened on a Sunday.
The market is currently in a "wait and see" mode. We have a weird collision of strong corporate earnings, massive geopolitical shifts, and a fundamental change in which stocks are leading the pack. It’s not the 2024 market anymore. It’s messier, louder, and way more focused on physical assets and industrial strength than just "the cloud."
Keep an eye on the Tuesday morning pre-market data around 8:00 AM EST. That’s when the real picture will start to emerge. For now, enjoy the rest of your weekend—the charts aren't going anywhere until the Tuesday bell.
📖 Related: Village of Arcade Electric: Why This Tiny Utility is a Massive Deal
Next Steps:
Review your current sector allocation to see if you are over-indexed in Big Tech. You should also verify if your stop-loss orders are adjusted for potential volatility when the U.S. markets reopen on Tuesday morning following the tariff announcements.