Nvidia stocks are rising on the first trading day of 2026. Nvidia share price on Friday was up 1.8 per cent in pre-market. S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq posted double-digit gains in 2025, their third consecutive year in the green, a run last ‌seen during 2019-2021. ‌The Dow posted its eighth monthly gain on the trot, the longest such streak since 2017-2018.

Many professional investors think more gains could be ahead in 2026. That’s because most expect the economy to plod ahead and avoid a recession. That should help U.S. companies grow their profits, which stock prices tend to track over the long term. For companies in the S&P 500, analysts are expecting earnings per share to rise 14.5 per cent in 2026, according to FactSet. That would…