Happy Monday! Wall Street is on track to deliver another year of strong gains, but the real fireworks happened overseas with massive moves. Explore the international markets that left Wall Street in the dust, and where savvy investors might position their portfolios next.

Also, Warren Buffett and Nancy Pelosi — two investing giants — have outperformed the market over the past decade, and one of them has more than doubled their returns against the other. Read on for all the details, and how it can help your portfolio.

In Today's Edition

• MARKET RECAP

• MARKET HEATMAP

• FIVE ZINGERS

• BENZINGA NEWSLETTER SPOTLIGHT

• MARKET HISTORY

Wall Street Got Smoked By These 20 Stock Markets In 2025

Wall Street is on track for another strong year, with major indexes up more than 15%, powered by tech and large-cap companies. However, investors who looked abroad saw even bigger gains with 20 international markets crushing the United States.

From South Korea and Peru, to Spain and Greece, international markets posted eye-popping returns — with some up over 80% this year and leaving Wall Street in the dust.

Read on to see what investors can expect for next year, and where savvy investors may want to position their portfolios next.

The #1 Best Stock To Buy In 2026 Is…

Benzinga Edge helps you find a clear path to profit using real-time data, insider signals, and repeatable trade setups designed to work in any market environment.

Last Week: U.S. indexes finished higher Friday, following through on Thursday's gains. The late late-week surge in tech stocks helped lift the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their third winning week in four, while the Dow — which has largely outperformed this month — fell to snap a three-week winning streak. AI stocks rebounded after recent weakness, led by Oracle which saw its shares jump following news that TikTok agreed to sell its U.S. operations in a new joint venture. In addition, Treasury yields moved modestly higher with the 10-year currently around 4.15% and has remained in the 4.0%–4.5% range for much of the year. While this level isn’t new, it’s still near 15-year highs. Lastly, oil prices moved up on Friday on supply disruption worries after President Donald Trump noted that he won’t rule out a war with Venezuela — a founding OPEC member which has one of the biggest oil reserves.

On Our Radar: Analysts will be paying attention to GDP data and durable goods orders Tuesday morning, looking for signals on growth, investment, and the health of the U.S. economy. Also, due to the Christmas holiday, there are no major earning reports this week.

Micron (MU) and Carnival (CCL) were among the standout winners on Friday, while shares of Nike (NKE) and Lamb Weston (LW) plunged despite beating analysts estimates. Silver also set another record, extending year-to-date gains to nearly 130%. But those weren’t the only stocks and commodities that were making big moves. Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers on Friday.

Discover how the market is moving with our interactive heatmap. Filter by market cap, or click on any box to explore specific sectors or assets in more detail.

Spec-tacular Future: Apple is quietly developing AI wearables for next year, giving suppliers like Foxconn and TSMC a big boost. Click to see which products could change the game.

Bitcoin’s $1.4M Target: Analysts say Bitcoin could hit $1.4 million by 2035, thanks to a rare “three-pillar” setup that could redefine its role as digital gold. But is this just hype — or a generational opportunity? Click to see the numbers behind the bold prediction.

Stock Of The Day: Tesla just cleared a key level and what happens next could make or break the stock’s year-end rally. Don’t miss the chart patterns traders are watching closely.

Deal, Deals, Deals: The M&A world is buzzing with mega-deals, mergers, and unexpected shakeups. Click to see which deals could impact your investments.

Bulls vs. Bears: Here’s a look at the top stocks making headlines this past week, with key developments sparking interest from both bulls and bears.

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On This Day In 1975…

President Gerald Ford signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at improving U.S. energy security. One of the most significant provisions of the act was the creation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which allows the government to stockpile crude oil to provide a buffer against any sudden disruptions in oil supply. When shocks take place, the government can release reserves to stabilize the market and protect the economy from energy shocks. This move fundamentally shaped U.S. energy policy, providing a critical tool for managing oil supply crises and influencing global oil markets.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The most important rule of trading is to play great defense, not great offense“

— Paul Tudor Jones

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