Core Viewpoint - The U.S. stock market is set to close with a lackluster performance, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit gains, while the anticipated seasonal rally has failed to materialize [1][2] Market Performance - As of 7:07 AM New York time, S&P 500 futures are down 0.2%, narrowing the index's 2025 gain to 17%. Nasdaq 100 futures are down 0.3%, and Dow futures are down 0.1% [1][2] - Silver prices have significantly declined, experiencing four consecutive days of volatility exceeding 5% [1][2] Investor Sentiment - In 2025, optimism surrounding the economic potential of artificial intelligence has driven strong returns for investors, although the journey has been turbulent due to U.S. trade policies, geopolitical tensions, and concerns over high valuations [1][2] - As December comes to a close, market momentum has faded, with traders locking in substantial profits before the holidays and deferring major decisions until after the break, leading to the absence of the expected "Santa Claus rally" [1][2] Fund Manager Insights - According to Roberto Scholtes, head of strategy at Singular Bank, after a stellar year for the stock market and high positioning in late November, fund managers may have closed positions and adjusted their allocations based on benchmarks [1][2] - The basic expectation is that the bull market will continue, but volatility is expected to increase, ultimately resulting in mid-single-digit returns [1][2]

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 55 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures were falling 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 futures were dropping 0.4%. U.S. stock futures were pointing to a negative opening for the final trading day of 2025, although the small moves are unlikely to take the shine off another strong year overall. The moves look like a continuation of the muted sentiment on show during the so-called Santa Claus rally period – comprising the final five trading sessions of the year and the first two of ...

Group 1 - The S&P 500 index futures showed a slight increase, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also rose, and the Nasdaq 100 index futures fluctuated near the flatline as traders prepare to close out a strong year in 2025 [2][6] - The S&P 500 index reached an intraday high of 6945.77 points before closing slightly flat [2][6] - International spot silver opened above $80 per ounce and surged to over $83, continuing its historic upward trend as it has risen for six consecutive trading days, with a 10% increase last Friday marking the largest single-day gain since 2008 [2][6] Group 2 - Silver has accumulated an increase of over 185% this year, potentially marking its best annual performance since 1979, driven by speculative inflows and ongoing supply disruptions following a short squeeze in October [2][6] - Wall Street is experiencing a fruitful year in 2025, with the S&P 500 index up 17.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 14.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite index showing a remarkable increase of 22.2% [2][6] Group 3 - The market is currently in the "Santa Claus rally" window, a traditional strong upward period for stocks, with the S&P 500 index averaging over a 1% increase during the last five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the next year since 1950 [3][7] - This week’s economic data calendar is relatively light, but investors will have another opportunity to gain insights into the Federal Reserve's policy direction for 2026, with the December monetary policy meeting minutes set to be released [3][7]

Core Viewpoint - The futures for the Nasdaq 100 index fell by 1%, the S&P 500 index futures decreased by 0.59%, and the Dow Jones index futures dropped by 0.17% [1]. Group 1 - Nasdaq 100 index futures declined by 1% [1] - S&P 500 index futures decreased by 0.59% [1] - Dow Jones index futures fell by 0.17% [1]

Core Points - CME Group, the world's largest exchange operator, experienced a significant outage affecting its popular currency platform and futures trading across various asset classes, including forex, commodities, U.S. Treasuries, and equities [1] - The outage was attributed to a cooling system issue at the CyrusOne data center, with CME stating efforts are underway to resolve the problem in the short term [1] - As of the report, futures prices for WTI crude oil, 10-year U.S. Treasuries, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Nikkei, palm oil, and gold were not updated, indicating a widespread impact on trading [2] Group 1 - The outage left brokers in a "blind flying" state, as they lacked real-time quotes, leading to reluctance in trading contracts, particularly in the spot gold and silver markets, which experienced severe volatility due to liquidity issues [3] - Traders expressed frustration over the disruption, especially those needing to roll positions from one month to another, highlighting the complexity of the situation for derivatives trading [5] - CME's recent outage is notable as it follows over a decade since its last major failure, which occurred in April 2014 due to technical issues that halted electronic trading for some agricultural contracts [6] Group 2 - The incident occurred during a period of low trading activity in Asian markets post-Thanksgiving, exacerbating the situation as traders were already facing a volatile month-end [7] - CMC Markets withdrew some commodity contracts and relied on internal data for quotes, indicating a shift in trading strategies due to the outage [6] - CME reported an average daily volume of 26.3 million contracts for derivatives in October, underscoring the significance of the exchange in the financial markets [6]

Core Viewpoint - International oil prices experienced a short-term decline, with WTI crude oil falling by 1.9% to $57.80 per barrel and Brent crude oil dropping by 1.74% to $61.626 per barrel, indicating market volatility in response to geopolitical developments [1][2]. Group 1: Oil Market - WTI crude oil decreased by 1.9%, closing at $57.80 per barrel [1] - Brent crude oil fell by 1.74%, settling at $61.626 per barrel, with futures extending the decline to 2% at $61.46 per barrel [1] Group 2: Gold Market - Spot gold saw a short-term drop of 0.26% [2] Group 3: Geopolitical Developments - Reports indicate that U.S. officials stated Ukraine agreed to the terms of a peace agreement, with President Trump suggesting November 27 as the deadline for Ukraine to accept U.S. support for the peace plan [6] - The U.S. government is attempting to restart peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, having drafted a "28-point" plan aimed at resolving the conflict, which includes aspects of peace, security guarantees, and future relations [6] - Russian President Putin confirmed discussions regarding the U.S. proposed peace plan took place before the Anchorage meeting, indicating a willingness to show flexibility on the Ukraine issue [7][8] - Putin emphasized the need for substantial discussions on all details of the proposed plan for peace negotiations to proceed [9]

Core Points - The article discusses significant developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leading to fluctuations in oil and gold prices, as well as a surge in U.S. stock index futures [1][2][3] - Reports indicate that U.S. officials claim Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a peace agreement [4] Group 1: Market Reactions - International crude oil prices experienced a sharp decline, with WTI crude falling by 1.9% to $57.80 per barrel and Brent crude dropping by 1.74% to $61.626 per barrel [1] - Spot gold prices also saw a decrease, dropping by 0.26% [2] - Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices surged significantly [3] Group 2: Peace Negotiations - U.S. President Trump stated that November 27 is the deadline for Ukraine to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan [5] - U.S. officials have been in discussions with Ukraine regarding a peace plan that could be acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine, referred to as the "28-point plan" [5][6] - Russian President Putin indicated that Russia is open to peace negotiations but requires substantial discussions on all details of the proposed plan [7]

Group 1 - International crude oil prices experienced a sharp decline, with WTI crude dropping by 1.9% to $57.80 per barrel and Brent crude falling by 1.74% to $61.626 per barrel [1][1] - Spot gold also saw a short-term drop, decreasing by 0.26% [3] - Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices surged [7] Group 2 - Reports indicate that U.S. officials claim Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a peace agreement [8] - On November 21, President Trump stated that the deadline for Ukraine to accept the U.S. supported peace plan is November 27 [9] - Vice President Pence and Ukrainian President Zelensky discussed the peace plan over the phone on November 21, with the Trump administration urging Ukraine to agree to a plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict before the deadline [10] - The U.S. government is attempting to restart peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and has drafted a new "28-point" plan to end the conflict, which includes aspects of peace, security guarantees, and future relations between the U.S. and both Russia and Ukraine [10] - President Putin confirmed that Russia has discussed the U.S. proposed "28-point plan" and expressed willingness to engage in peace talks, contingent on substantial discussions of all plan details [11][12]

Group 1 - Bitcoin has rebounded from $80,600 to $84,000, with a daily decline narrowing to 6% [1] - Nasdaq 100 index futures have increased by 0.51% [1] - Nvidia has recovered all pre-market losses and is now up by 0.7% [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve's Williams expressed an open attitude towards potential interest rate cuts, leading to a rise in U.S. Treasury yields and a rebound in stock futures, specifically the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices [1] Group 1 - On November 21, U.S. Treasury yields increased following comments from the Federal Reserve [1] - S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures experienced a rapid rise, recovering from previous declines [1]