Dow Jones Today: DJIA Climbs on Falling Consumer Inflation Expectations as Tech Stocks Rally

The Dow Jones (DJIA) is trading higher ahead of the weekend amid falling consumer inflation expectations and a surge in tech stocks.Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential Consumer inflation expectations fell for the fourth consecutive month to 4.2%, registering an 11-month low, according to the University of Michigan. Long-run inflation expectations also dropped to 3.2% from 3.4%. However, overall consumer sentiment is still at a low 52.9, up from 51.0 in November but missing the consensus estimate of 53.5. For context, a reading of 70 or greater signals optimism, while a reading of 60 or below signals pessimism. "Despite some signs of improvement to close out the year, sentiment remains nearly 30% below December 2024, as pocketbook issues continue to dominate consumer views of the economy," said Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu. In addition, 63% of consumers expect unemployment to rise during the next year as the unemployment rate rose to a four-year high of 4.6% last month. In other news, Goldman Sachs still expects stocks to rally as the end of the year approaches. "Barring any major shocks, it will be hard to fight the overwhelmingly positive seasonal period we are entering and the cleaner positioning set-up," wrote Goldman's trading desk team in a note to clients. Scott Rubner, Citadel Securities' Head of Equity and Equity Derivatives Strategy, added that retail investor participation in the market should remain strong in 2026. The Dow Jones is up by 0.64% at the time of writing.