Market Overview - US stock futures declined on the first trading day of December, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures falling by 0.4%, S&P 500 futures down 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures decreasing by 0.7% [1] - The declines followed a holiday-shortened week where the S&P 500 surged 3.7%, Nasdaq Composite jumped nearly 5%, and Dow logged a solid 3.2% gain [2] Seasonal Trends - December is historically one of the market's friendliest months, often boosted by the "Santa Clause rally" during the Christmas break [3] - Analysts are cautious about a booming holiday season this year due to unpredictable market behavior throughout the year [3] Economic Indicators - The Thanksgiving week rally was largely driven by rising hopes for an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve, with over 85% of bets on a quarter-point cut next week [4] - Economic releases are returning to normal after a government shutdown, with key reports including September's Personal Consumption Expenditures index and private reports on manufacturing and service sector activity [5] Corporate Earnings - Corporate earnings reports are expected this week from bargain retailers Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Five Below, as well as tech companies Salesforce and CrowdStrike [6]