The S&P 500 index futures kicked off 2026 on a tentative positive note, but early gains evaporated amid choppy trading and persistent resistance.

Overnight, bulls maintained control with minimal pushback, approaching Wednesday’s high. The regular session opened with bears taking charge, though bulls countered to briefly print a new session high of 6939.75. Resistance proved stubborn, leading to a 50-handle flush into the red. Dip-buyers attempted a recovery, but struggled to sustain green territory. Afternoon action bottomed at 6866.75 before bulls regained footing near the psychological 6900 level, where the index futures consolidated through the close.

The regular session ended near the midpoint at 6900.50, up 8 handles. For the shortened holiday week, the index futures posted a loss of 78.75 handles or 1.13%.

Next week features scattered earnings alongside more macro data, headlined by the December jobs report on Friday.

Among top index components, NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) emerged as the biggest gainer. The chip designer rose $2.35 or 1.26% to close at $188.85.

That performance was a magnificent seven times better than the cash index’s 0.18% advance.

On the other hand, the biggest loser was once again Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA). For the day, the AI/EV company fell $11.65 or 2.59% to close at $438.07 after lighter-than-expected Q4 delivery numbers.