Investors hoping for better returns in 2025 have an opportunity to make last-minute changes to their portfolios before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. However, those looking to ring in New Year’s Day by making a fresh stock purchase might want to think twice.

Dow Jones fell 300 points while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also dipped in trading Monday morning, with one day left in what has been a record year for the U.S. stock market.

U.S. stock markets, including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange, will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year's Day. Regular trading will take place on the final day of 2024, allowing investors to wrap up the year's activities.

London's FTSE 100 edged higher on the last trading day of 2024, as it looked set to lock in gains for a fourth straight year and its best since 2021. The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.3%, but was set for its only negative quarter in six,

U.S. equity futures moved higher in early Tuesday trading, while Treasury yields held steady following the biggest decline in five weeks, as investors looked to tidy positions and portfolios into the final trading day of a outstanding year for domestic stocks.