Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise with Wall Street set to wrap up latest volatile week
Yahoo Finance·2025-12-18 23:17

Market Overview - US stocks experienced a rise on Friday, breaking a recent losing streak, driven by signs of cooling inflation and reduced concerns over AI, which boosted Wall Street's optimism [1] - The S&P 500 increased by nearly 0.4%, the Nasdaq Composite gained approximately 0.5%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.3% [1] Technology Sector - Oracle's stock surged following China's ByteDance signing deals to establish a US TikTok joint venture, indicating a positive turn for the company after a turbulent week [2] - Nvidia's shares rose on reports that the US is reviewing the potential for sales of its H200 chips in China, further enhancing confidence in the AI sector [2] Economic Data and Federal Reserve Outlook - Investors navigated a week of economic data, maintaining hopes for rate cuts next year, despite some concerns regarding the reliability of the delayed November reports on jobs and consumer inflation [3] - The Consumer Price Index indicated a significant cooling of inflation, which was a key factor in the market rally, although some economists noted limitations in data collection due to the federal government shutdown [4] - The combination of a more favorable inflation outlook and a weakening job market has reignited expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue its easing policy, with many traders betting on two rate cuts next year [5] Treasury Yield and Market Trends - The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.15% as global bond markets reacted to the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike, the highest level since 1995 [6] - Despite the recent rebound, stocks are projected to face notable losses for the last full week of trading in 2025, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down fractionally this week due to a broader rotation out of tech stocks [6]