Market Performance - U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining approximately 300 points as investor optimism around the AI theme continued [1] - The Dow Jones increased by around 183 points, closing at 48,134.89, while the S&P 500 rose by 0.88% to 6,834.50, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped by 1.31% to 23,307.62 during the session [1] Analyst Ratings and Stock Picks - Benzinga's Analyst Ratings API provides high-quality stock ratings through partnerships with major sell-side banks, offering insights that can serve as trading indicators for outperforming the stock market [3] - Recent stock picks from top analysts include: - **Viavi Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:VIAV)**: Buy rating maintained with a price target increase from $18 to $20, indicating a potential upside of around 9% [6] - **Analog Devices Inc (NASDAQ:ADI)**: Hold rating maintained with a price target raised from $258 to $291, suggesting a potential upside of around 5% [6] - **Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU)**: Outperform rating maintained with a price target increase from $300 to $320, expecting a surge of around 17% [6] - **Expedia Group Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE)**: Buy rating maintained with a price target raised from $285 to $326, indicating a potential gain of around 13% [6] - **Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU)**: Overweight rating maintained with a price target increase from $300 to $335, expecting a jump of around 22% [7]

Market Overview - The Nasdaq closed up by 1.31%, driven by a strong performance in the tech sector, while the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 also saw gains of 0.89% and 0.84% respectively. The Dow lagged with a modest increase of 0.34% [2] - During the midday session, 56.1% of U.S. stocks were advancing, indicating a positive market sentiment, with the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 all vying for a close near 1% gains [3] Top Performers - Intuitive Machines surged by 33.6% after KeyBanc initiated coverage with a $20 price target, indicating strong investor interest in the space industry [4] - Amicus Therapeutics rose by 30.5% following the announcement of its acquisition by BioMarin in a $4.8 billion deal, highlighting significant M&A activity in the biotech sector [5] - CoreWeave increased by 21.5%, benefiting from a rebound in AI-related stocks and engagement with the Department of Energy on research efforts [5] Underperformers - Lamb Weston experienced a significant decline of 24.1% after reporting profit pressures in its latest quarterly results, reflecting challenges in the food sector [5] - BlackBerry fell by 13.2% following disappointing earnings, indicating ongoing struggles in the tech and software market [6] - Nike's stock dropped by 10.4% as investors reacted to the company's difficulties in the Chinese market, showcasing the impact of international market dynamics on performance [6] Sector Focus - The S&P 500's performance was notably influenced by AI-related stocks, with Oracle, Sandisk, Micron, and Advanced Micro Devices among the top performers, reflecting the growing importance of AI in the market [7]

Core Insights - Bitcoin investors are preparing for "Witching Friday" on December 18, which could lead to significant market volatility due to the expiration of approximately $23 billion in options contracts on Deribit, the largest Bitcoin exchange [1]. Group 1: Understanding "Witching Friday" - "Witching Friday," also known as "triple witching," occurs on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, when stock index futures, stock index options, and stock options expire simultaneously, often resulting in increased market volatility [2]. - The expiration of these contracts typically generates higher trading activity and larger price swings, as it triggers buying or selling of the underlying securities [3]. Group 2: Current Market Conditions - Leading up to "Witching Friday," Bitcoin has been experiencing a decline, trading down nearly 1% to $85,184, influenced by the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut and uncertainty regarding the macroeconomic environment, including potential rate hikes from the Bank of Japan and concerns over U.S. inflation in 2026 [4][5]. - Other cryptocurrencies are also affected, with XRP falling nearly 2% to around $1.82, while Ethereum remains stable at $2,802 [5].

All right, let's talk about the change in retail investor sentiment when it comes to the Mag 7. So, right now they're driving about a third of the action, a third of the volume when it comes to the Mag 7, but you say that's down quite a bit from the levels that we were at last year and the year before. What does that say about the thoughts that this is a bubble. What does that say about retail investor confidence in the AI trade.>> Well, we're we're still only like, you know, one 2% off all-time highs. So, ...

Core Insights - The upcoming third Friday of the month marks the expiration week for equity options, particularly significant due to the simultaneous expiration of equity options, stock index options, and stock index futures, known as "triple witching days" [2][3] Performance Analysis - Historically, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) has underperformed during triple witching weeks, averaging a loss of 0.47% with only 53% of returns being positive since 2017 [3][5] - In comparison, other expiration weeks have shown slightly better performance with an average return of 0.11% and less than half of the returns positive, while non-expiration weeks have averaged a return of 0.37% with 61% of returns positive [4][5] - More recent data from 2021 indicates that triple witching weeks have averaged a loss of 0.29% with only 39% of returns positive, while non-expiration weeks maintained an average return of 0.38% with 61% of returns positive [7][8] Daily Performance Trends - During triple witching weeks, Mondays have shown a positive trend with the SPX being positive 72% of the time, averaging a gain of 0.14%, while Fridays, the expiration day, have been particularly poor with an average loss of 0.36% and only 22% of returns positive [11][12] Individual Stock Performance - Certain stocks have historically outperformed during triple witching weeks, particularly software companies like Palantir Technologies (PLTR) and Autodesk (ADSK), which have shown positive returns [15][16] - Conversely, stocks that have underperformed during these weeks include many in the real estate and construction sectors, such as Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) and Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT), with average returns significantly below zero [18][19]