Benzinga·2025-12-23 18:18Market Overview - Wall Street experienced modest gains, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% near 6,900, close to last October's all-time high of 6,920 [1] - The Nasdaq 100 also increased by 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.3%. However, small caps lagged, with the Russell 2000 down about 0.6% [1] Economic Data - U.S. GDP expanded at a 4.3% annualized pace in Q3, surpassing estimates of 3.3%, marking the fastest growth rate in two years [2] Federal Reserve Expectations - The strong economic data led traders to reduce expectations for near-term Federal Reserve easing, with the probability of a 25-basis-point cut in late January now at approximately 15%, down from 20% [3] - Expectations have narrowed to two cuts in 2026, with June and September identified as the most likely months for these cuts [3] Stock Performance - Novo Nordisk A/S shares surged nearly 9% after U.S. regulators approved Wegovy in pill form, the first oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management [4] - In the Russell 1000, top gainers included Sarepta Therapeutics, Freeport-McMoRan, and Marvell Technology, each showing gains of over 3% [7] - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF rose 0.31% to $631.69, while the iShares Russell 2000 ETF fell 0.49% to $252.34 [8] Commodity Market - Precious metals continued their historic rally, with silver rising over 2% to break above $70 an ounce, achieving year-to-date gains of approximately 140% [4] - Gold advanced 0.7% to $4,475 an ounce, setting a new record high, while platinum surged 5.5%, marking its best year ever with a nearly 150% increase [5] - Palladium increased by 5.6%, reaching levels last seen in October 2022, now up 105% year-to-date [5]