Dow jumps over 300 points — on pace for 4th straight day of gains as Santa visits NYSE

Economic Overview - Wall Street's main indexes rose for a fourth consecutive session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 416 points (0.9%) to 47,528, and both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 gaining 0.9% [1] - Mixed economic data was released, showing jobless claims fell to 216,000, below expectations of 225,000, while new orders for capital goods surged in September [2] Federal Reserve Insights - The economy is not slipping into recession, but it is weak enough to allow for another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, as there remains a high number of unemployed individuals [3] - Traders are pricing in an 84.9% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut next month, nearly double the odds from the previous week, influenced by softer consumer demand signals and dovish remarks from Fed officials [4] Company Performance - Dell's stock rose by 2.3% after its quarterly forecasts surpassed expectations, driven by strong demand for servers in AI data centers, contributing to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching two-week highs [5] - HP's stock fell by 2.3% following the announcement of disappointing profit forecasts and job cut plans [8] Retail Sector Outlook - The upcoming holiday shopping period is crucial for big-box retailers, with expectations of holiday sales surpassing $1 trillion for the first time, despite mixed results from retailers like Walmart and Target [7][8] - The trading volumes are expected to thin out during the holiday period, which could lead to sharper price swings [7]