Daily Market Happenings

Week Ending: Friday, December 19th, 2025

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So What? Here’s my take:

  • Inflation!!!! Oh wait…you mean it’s easing?

    • Yes, on Thursday, 12/18, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a much more than expected cooling of inflation — 2.7% versus the expected 3.1%

    • That drove markets higher for past two days…Why?

    • Well if inflation isn’t proving to be high, then there’s no reason to consider maintaining elevated interest rates — therefore, this gives more room and likelihood for one or more rate cuts in 2026…and markets love low interest rates

  • It all depends on what headlines you read and what you choose to believe — just keep in mind that the ECONOMY and MARKETS are not the same thing; while they should have correlations, many times you just can’t make sense of things

  • The “holy shit” AI bubble and sell-off concerns were as long-lived as Taylor Swift’s boyfriends (pre-Kelce of course); Tech stocks posted strong gains to close out the week with the Nasdaq pushing positive for the week

  • If you haven’t already, please learn more about my Dual Defense portfolio management approach and how I use TrendGuard and StormGuard to rotate holdings for growth and protection during both Bull and Bear market cycles — plenty of info to lull you to sleep right here on the Canopy Financial Solutions website pages:

U.S. stock markets closed higher today, December 19, 2025, driven by strong performance in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, which helped the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices erase their weekly losses. Optimism was largely fueled by softer-than-expected inflation data from the previous day, which raised hopes for future interest rate cuts.

Market Performance & Key Drivers

Major U.S. stock indexes rallied for a second consecutive session on Friday.

  • The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) rose 0.9%, ending the week slightly higher.

  • The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC), which is tech-heavy, gained 1.3%, also securing a weekly win.

  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) climbed 0.4%, though it ended the week with a slight loss.

The market momentum was primarily driven by:

  • AI Stock Resurgence: Shares of AI-focused companies like NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) led the gains, continuing their rebound from a volatile week.

  • Oracle's Jump: Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) stock surged around 7% after the company, along with other investors, signed agreements to form a new U.S. joint venture for TikTok, ensuring its continued operation in the U.S..

  • Cooling Inflation Hopes: Data released on Thursday showed the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose less than anticipated (2.7% vs. 3.1% consensus), increasing investor confidence in potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in 2026.

Top Movers and Losers

While tech stocks soared, some companies faced significant single-day declines following their earnings reports:

  • Gainers:

    • Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) was a top performer, rising on the TikTok news.

    • Winnebago Industries (NYSE:WGO) jumped more than 10% after its profits and revenue beat analyst estimates.

    • Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) jumped over 15% as traders cheered cost cuts and production efficiency improvements.

  • Losers:

    • Nike, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) slumped over 10% as the impact of tariffs and weak sales in China overshadowed an otherwise strong quarterly profit report.

    • Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW), a frozen potato maker, fell significantly despite beating profit and revenue forecasts.

Global Markets & Commodities

International markets also saw gains. Japanese stocks closed higher after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to a 30-year high. European markets also advanced.

In commodities, gold prices were relatively flat but set for a weekly gain, while crude oil futures saw a slight rise. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was slightly up, near 4.15%.