U.S. Stocks Rise in Post-Holiday Session as Rate-Cut Hopes Lift Markets

U.S. stocks moved higher on Friday during a shortened post-Thanksgiving trading session, supported by renewed optimism for a potential Federal Reserve rate cut in December and solid gains across retail and technology shares. The low-volume session still delivered steady momentum, helping major indexes extend their weekly advance.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.61% to 47,716.42, while the S&P 500 gained 0.54% to close at 6,849.09. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.65%, ending at 23,365.69. Most S&P 500 sectors finished in positive territory, with healthcare the sole laggard as Eli Lilly slipped 2.6%.

Tech stocks helped lift the broader market, driven in part by Intel’s 10.2% surge after an analyst at TF International Securities reported that the chipmaker is expected to begin supplying Apple’s lowest-end M processors by 2027. The news helped bolster sentiment surrounding semiconductor and AI-linked names, even as concerns about stretched valuations persisted.

All three major indexes posted solid weekly gains. The S&P 500 rose 3.73% for the week, the Nasdaq advanced 4.91%, and the Dow gained 3.18%. The S&P 500 and Dow also stabilized enough to edge into slightly positive territory for the month. The Nasdaq, however, ended November down 1.51% as investors continued trimming exposure to high-growth tech and AI stocks following months of strong rallies.

Friday’s session was briefly disrupted after a CME Group technical outage temporarily halted futures trading for currencies, commodities, and equity contracts worldwide. CME attributed the issue to a cooling malfunction at a CyrusOne data center. Although the impact was limited due to the holiday-light volume, market analysts noted that such incidents highlight the vulnerabilities in globally interconnected markets.

With the holiday shopping season officially underway—spanning Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the upcoming Cyber Monday—investors are watching retail performance closely as consumer spending remains a key driver for year-end market direction.