05:01 PM EST, 12/23/2025 — US equity indexes rose amid Tuesday’s thin trading volumes as communication services and technology posted sector-topping gains following mixed macroeconomic data.

The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.6% to 23,561.84, with the S&P 500 up 0.5% to 6,909.79 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.2% higher at 48,442.41. All three indexes traded close to their all-time highs. Consumer staples and healthcare led the decliners.

US authorities are investigating Singapore-based cloud computing company Megaspeed over alleged discrepancies between the number of Nvidia (NVDA) chips it acquires and uses in data centers, Bloomberg reported. Shares of the US chipmaker closed 3% higher, among the top gainers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

Nasdaq’s trading volume was 6.68 billion shares, compared with a daily average of about 9.5 billion, according to data compiled by Yahoo Finance. The corresponding figures for the S&P 500 were 2.23 billion versus 5.4 billion. For the Dow, the figures were 418.9 million versus 524.8 million.

In economic news, the US economy grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in Q3, the fastest pace in two years, amid robust consumer spending, according to an initial estimate released Tuesday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The consensus was for a 3.3% jump in a Bloomberg-compiled survey. The GDP growth was 3.8% in the June quarter.

“The headline figures are impressive, and they suggest that productivity growth surged in Q3, with payrolls up only +33k during the quarter, but these numbers are difficult to trust,” Jefferies Chief US Economist Thomas Simons said in a note.

Jefferies economists now expect Q4 GDP to be up only about 0.5%, “down from +1.7% coming into today. There is also a substantial risk of a negative print,” according to the research note.

Meanwhile, demand for US durable goods fell by 2.2% month-on-month to about $307.38 billion in October from a gain of 0.7% in September, the Census Bureau said. The consensus was for a 1.5% decline, as per a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The Conference Board’s measure of consumer confidence declined to 89.1 in December from 92.9 in November, below the 91.0 reading expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.

“Despite an upward revision in November related to the end of the shutdown, consumer confidence fell again in December and remained well below this year’s January peak,” said Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board.

Holiday spending in the US rose at a slower pace in 2025 than last year, preliminary data from Visa (V) showed Tuesday.

Retail spending for the holiday season increased 4.2% year over year across all forms of payment, the retail spend monitor report from Visa Consulting & Analytics said. That’s below the 4.8% annual gain recorded in 2024. The report analyzes retail sales activity over seven weeks beginning Nov. 1.

US Treasury yields were mixed, with the two-year higher by 3.1 basis points to 3.53%. The 10-year yield leaned lower by less than one basis point to 4.17%.

Gold futures advanced 1.1% to $4,518.41 intraday, an all-time closing high. Silver futures jumped 4.3% to $71.55, also a new record on a closing basis.

04:51 PM EST, 12/22/2025 — US equity indexes rose in a broad-based rally on Monday, with materials and financials leading sectors amid thin trading volumes.

The Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.5% to 23,429.1, with the S&P 500 up 0.6% to 6,878.2 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.5% higher at 48,377.4. The equity market will close early on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET and will remain closed on Thursday for the Christmas holiday.

Energy was also among the top gainers, while the consumer staples sector was the sole decliner.

Nasdaq’s trading volume was 6.27 billion shares, compared with a daily average of about 9.54 billion, according to data compiled by Yahoo Finance. The corresponding figures for the S&P 500 were 2.58 billion versus 5.42 billion. For the Dow, the figures were 427.1 million versus 526.6 million.

Gold futures surged 2.1% to $4,478.81 intraday, reaching an intraday all-time high of $4,479.30, as per data compiled by CNBC. Silver futures soared 2.1% to $68.91, also touching a new record of $69.53 earlier in the session.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 2.4% to $57.88 a barrel as the US intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Reuters said in a Monday report.

“Oil prices have thus been supported by this geopolitical news alongside the simmering Russia-Ukraine tensions in the background in an otherwise very bearish market fundamentally,” Reuters quoted June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities, as saying.

In economic news, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank’s monthly National Activity Index improved to minus 0.21 in September from minus 0.31 in August, below an expected reading of minus 0.17 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The three-month moving average fell to minus 0.21 from minus 0.18 in August.

US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 1.4 basis points to 4.17% and the two-year higher by two basis points to 3.51%.

Amid the holiday season, spirits were lifted by strong results reported last week by chipmaker Micron Technology (MU), which may have calmed fears of an AI bubble in the tech sector. Shares of Micron jumped 4%, the Nasdaq’s leader.

In company news, Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Whole Foods Market are set to be added as defendants in lawsuits against baby formula maker ByHeart over a potentially contaminated product, Bloomberg reported Monday. Shares of Walmart retreated 1.5%, among the laggards on the Dow, while Target was the worst performer on the S&P 500, down 2.9%.

Dominion Energy (D) slumped 3.7%, one of the steepest decliners on the S&P 500, after the Trump administration paused the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, as well as four other wind farms on the East Coast.

04:55 PM EST, 12/19/2025 — US equity indexes rose on Friday as technology topped sector charts in a broad-based rally, aided by a revival of risk-on sentiment for the so-called artificial intelligence trade.

The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.3% to 23,307.62, with the S&P 500 up 0.9% to 6,834.50 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.4% higher at 48,134.89.

Healthcare, industrials, and financials were among the top gainers, while utilities and consumer staples led the decliners.

Oracle (ORCL), Silver Lake, and MGX have signed deals with ByteDance’s TikTok to form a new US joint venture overseeing the American version of the social media platform, according to media outlets, citing an internal memo. Shares of Oracle jumped 6.6%, among the top performers on the S&P 500.

Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) jumped 3.9%, the Dow’s leader. The tech bellwether could start shipping its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China as the Department of Commerce sent license applications for the chip sales to the State, Energy, and Defense Departments for review, Reuters reported Thursday.

Investors continued to pile into Micron Technology (MU) on Friday, with the stock closing 7% higher. The company reported fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations late Wednesday. Micron also handily beat the fiscal Q2 forecasts.

The Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ), with net assets of $6.97 billion and investments in firms related to AI, jumped 1.9%, hovering close to the week’s highest.

The CBOE Volatility Index sank 11% to 14.91 intraday.

In economic news, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index for December was revised to 52.9 from a preliminary estimate of 53.3, compared with expectations for a revision to 53.5 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The final reading was 51.0 in November.

Respondents in a Michigan survey see a 4.2% annual inflation rate over the next year and 3.2% over five years, declining from 4.5% and 3.4%, respectively, in November. That data comes close on the heels of the year-over-year consumer price index growth unexpectedly slowing in November and core CPI increasing less than forecast on Thursday.

As of late Friday, the market is pricing a 46% probability for a 25-basis-point reduction in March, versus the 41% likelihood a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

Further in economic news, the pace of US existing home sales rose 0.5% to a 4.13 million seasonally adjusted annual rate in November from 4.11 million in October, compared with a larger expected increase to a 4.15 million rate in a survey compiled by Bloomberg, data from the National Association of Realtors released showed.

Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 3.3 basis points to 4.15% and the two-year higher by 2.8 basis points to 3.49%.

Gold futures advanced 0.1% to $4,369.11. Silver futures jumped 3.3% to $67.39, earlier hitting an all-time high.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 0.9% to $56.65 a barrel.

09:23 AM EST, 12/18/2025 — US stocks look set to open higher in Thursday’s trading session as investors dissect key inflation and jobless claims figures released earlier in the morning, which came in lower than expected.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are up 0.49%, S&P 500 futures are rising 0.86%, and Nasdaq futures are surging 1.21%.

Oil prices are moving higher, with front-month global benchmarks North Sea Brent crude up 0.2% at $59.91 per barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 0.3% at $56.12 per barrel.

The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index, a measure of inflation, rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, below expectations of a 3.1% increase in a survey conducted by Bloomberg.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.6% year-over-year, also lower than the consensus estimate of a 3.0% increase.

US initial jobless claims fell to 224,000 in the employment survey week ended Dec. 13, after rising to an upwardly revised 237,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a decrease to 225,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

In other world markets, Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.03%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.12%, and China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.16 %. Meanwhile in Europe’s early afternoon session, the UK’s FTSE 100 was off 0.15%, while Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC were up 0.24% and 0.16% respectively.

In equities, shares of Athira Pharma (ATHA) jumped 76% pre-bell after it said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire the rights for the development and commercialization of lasofoxifene to treat breast cancer.

Sable Offshore (SOC) shares surged 56% after it said Thursday that the US Department of Transportation confirmed that its pipeline system connecting the Santa Ynez Unit to the Pentland Station terminal in California is an “active” pipeline under regulations.

Shares of urban-gro (UGRO) climbed 37%, wiping out Wednesday’s 17% loss.

Envirotech Vehicles (EVTV) rose 9% after it reported additional details Thursday regarding a potential merger with artificial intelligence infrastructure company AZIO AI.

And Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) surged 25% after the Truth Social parent and TAE Technologie agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction valued at more than $6 billion.

On the losing side, shares of Mega Fortune Company (MGRT) plunged 53% after soaring 144% on Wednesday.

Pyxis Oncology (PYXS) shares plummeted 47% after it reported Thursday preliminary phase 1 data for Micvotabart Pelidotin in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, adding to a 16% loss the previous session.

Vision Marine Technologies’ (VMAR) stock price shed 40%, piling on to a 49% loss the previous session.

Processa Pharmaceuticals (PCSA) shares dropped 35%, partially offsetting its 122% gain on Wednesday.

And shares of Solo Brands (SBDS) tumbled 11%, erasing some of Wednesday’s 19% gain.

04:58 PM EST, 12/16/2025 — US equity indexes ended mixed on Tuesday as a deluge of divergent economic data triggered opposing views about the state of the labor market and the consumer.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% to 48,114.26, with the S&P 500 down 0.2% to 6,800.26. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 23,111.46. Technology, consumer discretionary, and communication services were the gainers. Healthcare and energy led the decliners.

Nonfarm payrolls rose by 64,000 in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday, beating the consensus for a 50,000 increase in a Bloomberg-compiled survey. The BLS report was delayed by more than a week because of the recent federal government shutdown. Private payrolls grew by 69,000, with the service industry adding 50,000 jobs.

Private payrolls growth shows an improving trend as it rose from the 52,000 additions in October, David Doyle, head of economics at Macquarie Group, said in an e-mailed note. “Government was a drag over these two months due to the shutdown, but this should unwind with the December data,” Doyle said while adding that “our view for Fed policy is unchanged on the data release.”

The unemployment rate in the BLS data, however, rose to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021, compared with Wall Street’s expectation of 4.5%. Hourly earnings climbed by 0.1%, slower than the 0.3% jump expected, and following a 0.4% gain in October.

“The combined message of all of this (jobs) data is sufficiently muddled that it does not give a sense of whether broader downside risks to the labor market have intensified,” Jefferies Chief US Economist Thomas Simons said in a report e-mailed to World Trade. “We still expect 50 (basis points) in further reductions during the first half of 2026, so our odds for a March cut remain high.”

Further in economic news, the US Census Bureau reported unchanged retail sales in October, compared with the Bloomberg-compiled consensus for 0.1% growth. Retail sales excluding motor vehicles and gas components were up 0.5% on a sequential basis, compared with estimates for a 0.4% gain.

The flash reading of manufacturing conditions from S&P Global fell to 51.8 in December from 52.2 in November, below the 52.1 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and marking a five-month low. The index for services’ conditions fell to 52.9, a six-month low, from 54.1, missing expectations for a smaller drop to 54.0.

US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year yield down 3.3 basis points to 4.15% and the two-year yield 2.7 basis points lower at 3.48%, reflecting a risk-off move in fixed-income markets.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures traded 2.4% lower at $55.46 a barrel, after hitting a 52-week low of $54.98, according to data compiled by CNBC.

The ICE US Dollar Index, which reflects the greenback’s performance against a basket of the world’s major currencies, slid 0.3% to 98.04.

06:22 AM EST, 12/10/2025 — Wall Street futures pointed modestly lower pre-bell Wednesday as traders awaited the pending rate decision from the Federal Reserve, and also clues to future policy stances.

In the futures, the S&P 500 fell 0.1%, the Nasdaq declined 0.2% and the Dow Jones was off 0.1%.

The Fed’s rate decision announcement is slated for 2 pm ET, to be followed by the 2:30 pm press conference held by Chair Jerome Powell.

There is a nine-in-10 chance the US central bank will cut policy rates by 0.25%, according to the CME Group FedWatch Tool. The Fed will also publish its quarterly Summary of Economic Projections on interest rates, growth, and inflation.

Asian exchanges traded mixed and muted overnight ahead of the Fed meeting, while European bourses edged lower midday on the continent.

GE Vernova (GEV) traded up 8.7% pre-bell after the provider of equipment to energy industries announced a doubling of its dividend and boosted guidance at an investor day event late Tuesday. Strong electrical demand from AI and data centers is boosting sales of hardware, advised GE Vernova.

Oracle (ORCL) plans to report earnings after the bell, among others.

On the economic calendar is the weekly MBA mortgage applications bulletin at 7 am ET, followed by the Q3 employment cost index at 8:30 am.

The October wholesale inventories post at 10 am, followed by the weekly EIA petroleum status report at 10:30 am.

In pre-market action, Bitcoin traded at $92,423, West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded higher at $58.36, and 10-year US Treasuries offered 4.21%. Spot gold traded for $4,192 an ounce.

05:08 PM EST, 12/04/2025 — US equity indexes traded mixed on Thursday as a contrast in labor market data weighed on market expectations for next week’s monetary policy easing, pushing government bond yields higher.

The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 23,505.14, and the S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher to 6,857.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped less than 0.1% to 47,850.94. Consumer staples, healthcare, and consumer discretionary were among the decliners, while industrials, technology, and communication services led the gainers.

Initial jobless claims fell to 191,000 in the week ended Nov. 29, the lowest since September 2022, from an upwardly revised 218,000 in the previous week. The expectations in a Bloomberg-compiled survey were for 220,000.

The latest read is only about 10,000 higher than the lowest prints since the 1960s, according to a Jefferies note. “This week’s reference week includes Thanksgiving, which is notorious for making seasonal adjustment difficult.”

Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Thursday that companies planned to cut 71,321 jobs in November, down from 153,074 in October but above the 57,727 a year ago.

“Layoff plans fell last month, certainly a positive sign,” said Andrew Challenger, the company’s senior vice president. “That said, job cuts in November have risen above 70,000 only twice since 2008: in 2022 and in 2008.”

The probability of the Federal Open Market Committee cutting rates by 25 basis points on Dec. 10 is 87%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. That compares with 90% on Wednesday, over 83% a week ago, and almost 69% a month earlier.

“There are those on the Committee that continue to support further action” to ease policy, Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a note.

“But, there are also a number of officials that are still concerned about the lack of price stability and potential for a further acceleration into the new year, as inventories and margin cuts will no longer shield consumers from the burden of higher costs,” Piegza added.

Most US Treasury yields rose, with the two-year yield up 3.7 basis points to 3.52%. The 10-year yield jumped 4.2 basis points to 4.1%.

The US Dollar index rose 0.2% to 99.07.

Meta Platforms (META) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg discussed cuts as steep as 30% for next year in its budget to build the so-called metaverse, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares jumped 3.4%, the top gainer on the Nasdaq.

Dollar General (DG) shares surged 14%, the leader on the S&P 500, after the firm posted higher fiscal Q3 earnings and net sales, and raised its fiscal 2025 guidance.

Intel (INTC) has decided to keep its networking and communications unit within the company after a strategic review, Reuters reported late Wednesday, citing the company. Shares dropped 7.5%, the worst performer on the Nasdaq.