Stocks To Watch – 1/12/2026

Brief Overview

Welcome back to this week’s Stocks to Watch!

We hope you had a great weekend. We’re ready to get back to the action this week with some notable names like JPM, DAL, WFC C BAC TSM & BLK scheduled to report this week. We also have a full schedule of economic data from the Fed this week so be sure to check out the calendar below!

Looking back at last week…

Monday: Strong Start After Holiday Week
Stocks came out of the gates running. Major indexes climbed sharply as the Dow set new record highs and broader markets responded to better sentiment around jobs and commodities. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose, supported by gains in energy and industrial sectors early in the first full week of trading.

Tuesday: Rally Extends on Sector Leadership
Markets stayed in positive territory. The Dow and S&P 500 continued higher, with tech shares and commodities helping lead the move. There was growing confidence that inflation and employment trends could keep the Fed on a more gradual easing path, which supported equities.

Wednesday: Midweek Caution After Early Rally
Stocks cooled off slightly after the first two days’ run. Uncertainty around monetary policy and mixed signals from economic indicators gave traders a chance to trim gains. Tech names showed mixed action, and defensive sectors picked up a bit of interest as rotation continued.

Thursday: Uneven Trading as Jobs Loom
Before the crucial Friday jobs report, markets traded in a narrow range. The S&P stayed near recent highs, but the Nasdaq lagged a bit, reflecting caution ahead of the labor data. Some sectors like utilities and consumer staples saw relative strength.

Friday: Record Lows Turn to Weekly Gains After Jobs Print
The week finished on a strong note. The jobs report showed slower hiring but a slightly better unemployment rate, which helped ease immediate pressure on rate expectations and lifted sentiment. The S&P 500 and Dow both hit record closing highs, and the Nasdaq ended higher too. Small caps (Russell 2000) led weekly gains.

Key Takeaway:
This was a positive kickoff to 2026 — investors leaned into equities early and were rewarded with record closes on key indexes. A mixed midweek reminded everyone to take profits where they could, but a softer jobs print and improving unemployment helped close out the week strongly. With rate-cut expectations still in play and major earnings on the horizon, markets have momentum, but traders are watching labor and inflation data closely for the next directional cues.