Market Overview - Asian shares exhibited mixed performance amid thin holiday trading, with most markets closed for Christmas. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo increased by 0.1% to 50,407.79, marking a nearly 30% gain for the year [1] - The Shanghai Composite index in mainland China rose by 0.5% to 3,959.62, while Hong Kong's exchange was closed [1] Central Bank Actions - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) reassured investors by committing to ensure adequate money supply to support financing, economic growth, and inflation targets. The PBOC maintained its key short-term lending rates earlier in the week [2] US Market Performance - The S&P 500 index increased by 0.3% to 6,932.05, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.6% to 48,731.16, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2% to 23,613.31 [3] - The S&P 500 has gained over 17% this year, driven by investor optimism regarding the Trump administration's deregulatory policies and the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance profits across various sectors [5] Economic Indicators - The US economy experienced a robust growth rate of 4.3% annually in Q3, the fastest in two years, primarily fueled by consumer spending despite high inflation [7] - Jobless claims in the US decreased by 10,000 to 214,000 for the week ending December 20, remaining below the forecast of 232,000 new applications, indicating a still healthy labor market [8] Company News - Dynavax Technologies' shares surged by 38.2% following Sanofi's announcement of acquiring the company for $2.2 billion, which will enhance Sanofi's vaccine portfolio [9] - Novo Nordisk's shares rose by 1.8% after receiving US regulatory approval for a pill version of its weight loss drug Wegovy, although the company’s shares are down nearly 40% this year due to increased competition from Eli Lilly, whose shares have increased by 40% this year [10]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1% as of 9:45 a.m. Eastern. The S&P 500 index was up less than 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.1%. Markets will close at 1 p.m. ET for Christmas Eve and are closed for Christmas. Markets will reopen for a full day of trading on Friday, however volumes are expected to be light this week with the holiday and most investors having closed out their positions for the year. Much of the focus remains on the state of the U.S. economy and where the Federal Reserve w ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed higher and reached more records Wednesday on a holiday-shortened trading day. The S&P 500 index rose 22.26 points, or 0.3%, to 6,932.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 288.75, or 0.6%, to close at 48,731.16, and the Nasdaq composite added 51.46, or 0.2%, to 23,613.31 Trading was extremely light as markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will be closed for Christmas Thursday. Roughly 1.8 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, which ...

Public Health & Policy Concerns - The hearing focuses on potential pressure to pursue anti-vaccine policies and defy scientific evidence, which could significantly impact public health [3] - Concerns exist regarding the Secretary of Health and Human Services potentially directing the approval of vaccines without scientific evidence and dismissing career officials responsible for vaccine policy [7][8] - The Secretary of Health and Human Services is accused of wanting data to support the claim that measles vaccine causes blindness and deafness, despite evidence to the contrary [11] - There are worries that the advisory committee on immunization practices will revisit critical vaccines for kids, potentially overstating risks, understating benefits, and cherry-picking evidence [13] - The vaccine committee has been replaced with known critics of vaccines and operates under decreased transparency with a willful refusal to follow established scientific and decision-making procedures [23] Political Implications - Senator Cassidy, who called for the hearing, faces a primary challenge and concerns that he might be stirring up controversy [4][5] - Senator Cassidy previously insisted that the Secretary of Health and Human Services not change ACIP recommendations or the way ACIP is constructed, but these agreements may have been violated [17] - There is a call for Senator Cassidy to gather other Republican senators to address the President regarding the Secretary of Health and Human Services' stance on vaccines [20] Vaccine Advisory Meeting - A key advisory board meeting on vaccine panels is approaching, making the hearing even more significant [4] - The advisory committee on immunization practices will be meeting and there's a lot of efforts to prebunk what we expect is going to happen there, which is a significant revisiting of critical vaccines for kids [13] - Senator Cassidy has called for that vaccine meeting the advisory meeting to be put on hold indefinitely because or if they meet for people not to follow their guidance [15]