Stock Indexes Higher on Strength in Tech Stocks

Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index is up +0.41%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index is up +0.22%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index is up +0.50% [1] - March E-mini S&P futures are up +0.40%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures are up +0.45% [1] Sector Performance - Tech stocks are providing support, with Tesla up more than +2%, Nvidia and Meta both up more than +1% [2] - Sentiment towards AI stocks has improved following Micron's positive results, benefiting chip stocks [2] - Precious metals miners are showing strength, with gold and silver reaching new record highs [2] Seasonal Trends - Historical data indicates that the S&P 500 has risen 75% of the time in the last two weeks of December, with an average increase of 1.3% [3] International Markets - The Euro Stoxx 50 is down -0.30%, while China's Shanghai Composite is up +0.69% for the fourth consecutive daily gain, and Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 is up +1.81% [4] Interest Rates - The 10-year T-note yield is up +1.8 basis points at 4.165%, with T-note prices affected by supply overhang [5] - The Treasury yield curve has steepened, with short-end yields pushed lower by the FOMC's announcement to purchase up to $40 billion of short-term T-bills monthly [6]