U.S. Stocks Surge as December Fed Rate Cut Bets Strengthen

Wall Street ended the week on a strong note Friday, with major U.S. stock indexes climbing sharply as expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December gained momentum. The rebound helped ease concerns about stretched tech valuations after a turbulent week for global markets.

A broad market rally picked up speed by late morning, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 493.30 points to 46,245.56. The S&P 500 advanced 0.98% to 6,602.96, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.88% to close at 22,273.08.

The surge followed fresh U.S. labor market data, which showed an unexpected uptick in unemployment—a signal that strengthened the market’s confidence in a potential Fed rate cut. According to CME’s FedWatch tool, traders now see a 73.3% chance of a December cut, up from 39.1% just a day earlier.

Comments from New York Fed President John Williams also boosted sentiment. Once viewed as leaning hawkish, his openness to near-term rate cuts shifted market perception toward a more dovish outlook. Analysts say this helped spark Friday’s strong rebound after Thursday’s broad selloff.

Tech stocks also provided support. Strong earnings from AI-driven leaders like Nvidia helped calm fears that the sector’s rapid gains were unsustainable. With nearly all S&P 500 companies having reported third-quarter results, about 83% have beaten earnings expectations, according to LSEG data.

Global markets were more mixed. European stocks fell for the week amid worries about high tech valuations and optimism around Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, which dragged defense shares lower. Asian markets also slipped, with Japan’s Nikkei dropping 2.40%.

In currencies, the dollar steadied but weakened against the yen as Japanese officials increased efforts to curb the yen’s slide. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies tumbled, with bitcoin falling to multi-month lows.

U.S. Treasury yields dipped as rate-cut bets strengthened, and oil prices fell to a one-month low on developments in the Russia-Ukraine peace push. Gold also edged lower, with spot prices ending at $4,065.29 an ounce.