The Club’s 10 things to watch Wednesday, Dec. 31 1. It’s the final trading session of 2025, and stocks are slumping. The S & P 500 edged lower ahead of the open as the benchmark gauge heads for its fourth-straight losing session. Still, the S & P 500 is on track to gain roughly 17% this year and its third consecutive double-digit yearly advance. The U.S. public markets will be closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day. 2. The U.S. dollar, on the other hand, is on track for its worst year since 2017. The greenback has been pressured by concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his administration’s aggressive push to secure the appointment of a more dovish Federal Reserve chief in 2026. 3. Reuters reported early this morning that Nvidia has reached out to semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semi to ramp up production of its H200 chips in response to strong demand from China. Nvidia has reportedly received more than 2 million H200 chip orders from China, to be delivered in 2026, but has only 700,000 on hand. 4. According to the South China Morning Post , ByteDance could be looking to spend up to 100 billion yuan, or $14 billon, in Nvidia’s H200 chips in 2026, if the chips are allowed to be imported. That’s a significant increase from the 85 billion yuan, or roughly $12 billion, spent with Nvidia in 2025. 5. Nike CEO Elliott Hill has purchased roughly $1 million worth of company stock, according to a new regulatory filing. This is excellent news for shareholders in the sneaker and apparel maker (like us). We see insider buying as a sign of confidence by management in the company’s future. 6. Citizens raised its price target on Alphabet to $385 from $340. Analysts, who reiterated their buy rating, pointed to more strength in the company’s search business. Citizens also said updates regarding the tech behemoth’s custom silicon chips business could drive further upside. We initiated a position in Alphabet this week and agree there is plenty more upside ahead for its stock. 7. 2025 saw the return of megadeals, and The Wall Street Journal reported late yesterday that bankers are gearing up for a lot more in 2026. This bodes well for banks like Goldman Sachs . Overall, 2025 saw a record 68 deals valued at over $10 billion, according to LSEG data dating back to 1980. 8. Citi upped its price target on Capital One to $310 from $290, representing a roughly 27% advance from Tuesday’s closing price. Analysts see upside to consensus estimates when the credit card issuer reports fourth-quarter earnings next month. Citi kept its buy rating on shares. 9. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country will hit its 5% goal for gross domestic product growth in 2025. Regarding the economy, Xi said that China must “remain confident, seize the momentum and steadily advance high-quality development,” he added during a televised New Year’s speech. 10. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that Cybercab production is set to ramp up in April, according to a social media post. Shares of the electric vehicle maker are up 1% premarket. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free . (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
