U.S. stocks lift on the last day of November as Wall Street eagerly awaits the results of Black Friday

Market Performance - U.S. stocks opened with gains on the final trading day of November, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 138 points, and the Nasdaq gaining 0.3% [1] - Most tech stocks posted gains, including Meta Platforms rising 1.4% and Micron Technology adding 2.8%, while Nvidia fell 1% and Oracle dropped 2.3% [2] Cryptocurrency - Coinbase Global added 3.6% as bitcoin rose above $92,000 after previously dropping to around $81,000 last week, although it remains below its all-time high of approximately $125,000 set in early October [1] Federal Reserve Outlook - There is growing confidence among traders that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its meeting ending on December 10, with a nearly 87% probability of a cut according to CME Group data [5] - Recent comments from Federal Reserve officials have bolstered this confidence, despite the central bank facing challenges with rising inflation and a slowing job market [6] Economic Data - The latest corporate earnings reports were mostly positive, but economic data has been mixed, indicating a complex economic environment [6] - In Asia, Japan's housing starts rose 3.2% in October year-over-year, defying expectations of a decline, while South Korea's industrial production fell 4% month-on-month in October [8]