U.S. equities began the new year on a cautious note, with major indexes posting modest declines today, Thursday, January 1st, 2026, as investors digested the latest Federal Reserve minutes and looked ahead to a busy week of economic data. The subdued start follows a strong end to 2025, which saw significant gains driven largely by artificial intelligence (AI) advancements. Market participants appear to be recalibrating expectations for monetary policy and assessing the economic landscape for the coming year ...