Stocks Set to Open Lower as Investors Trim Risk at Year-End, Fed Minutes Awaited

分组1 - The Federal Reserve's December meeting minutes will be closely analyzed to gauge the likelihood of further rate cuts, with the FOMC having already lowered rates three times this month, but projecting only one more cut in 2026 [1][6] - The U.S. stock and bond markets will be closed on New Year's Day, with early closure on New Year's Eve, impacting trading volumes [2] - The S&P 500 has historically shown a "Santa Claus rally," averaging a return of 1.3% during the last five trading days of December and the first two of January, occurring 78% of the time since 1950 [2] 分组2 - In Friday's trading, major equity averages on Wall Street closed slightly lower, with notable declines in chip stocks like Arm Holdings and NXP Semiconductors, and energy stocks also fell due to a drop in WTI crude prices [4] - Target saw a significant increase of over 3% after a major investment from Toms Capital Investment Management, highlighting positive investor sentiment towards the retailer [4] - The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note decreased to 4.107%, indicating a shift in bond market dynamics [8] 分组3 - China's Shanghai Composite Index closed higher, supported by government pledges to stimulate domestic consumption, despite a significant drop in industrial profits of 13.1% year-over-year in November [11] - Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell as chip stocks declined, while bank stocks rose following discussions on potential interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan [12] - DigitalBridge Group surged over 35% in pre-market trading due to reports of SoftBank Group's advanced acquisition talks [13]