Markets enter the final week of 2025 with focus on the traditional "Santa Claus Rally" period that historically sees stocks gain during the last five trading days of December and first two days of January. The week features an abbreviated trading calendar with markets closed Thursday for New Year's Day and light volume expected throughout as institutional participation remains reduced following the Christmas break. Tuesday's FOMC meeting minutes will provide the only major catalyst, offering detailed insights into the Federal Reserve's December policy deliberations and the internal debates that shaped the more hawkish 2026 outlook. Economic data remains sparse with Wednesday's initial jobless claims and Chicago PMI before the holiday, followed by Friday's Manufacturing PMI providing the first economic snapshot of 2026. The week also brings heightened attention to Tesla (TSLA) as CEO Elon Musk's year-end deadline approaches for delivering unsupervised robotaxis in Austin, Texas—a promise that could prove consequential for the stock despite Musk's decade-long history of overly optimistic self-driving timelines.
Here are 5 things to watch this week in the Market.
