U.S. stock futures eased slightly on Tuesday after Wall Street ended in the red Monday, as tech shares retreated from last week’s rally amid thin holiday trading. Still, equities are poised to close 2025 near record highs, posting double-digit gains in a year shaped by tariff disputes and shifting central bank policies. Attention now turns to the Fed’s December meeting minutes, set to be released later today and expected to reveal divisions among policymakers over next year’s rate outlook, adding uncertainty to the policy path. On the corporate front, Nvidia became the first company to surpass a USD 5 trillion market capitalization this year, underscoring aggressive investment by tech giants as competition intensifies in the global AI race. Beyond monetary policy, markets remain challenged by lingering geopolitical risks, including the war in Ukraine, Venezuela’s energy uncertainty, oil glut concerns, and surging electricity demand to power AI infrastructure.
