Wall Street Ends November Higher Amid Fed Optimism

28 mins ago

6298 posts

Wall Street Ends November Higher Amid Fed Optimism/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. stocks rose modestly on the final trading day of November, extending a four-day rally. Optimism about potential Federal Reserve rate cuts helped lift the market, with tech stocks mostly gaining. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all posted increases despite earlier disruptions in futures trading.

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

November Market Recap Quick Looks

S&P 500 rose 0.2%, avoiding first monthly loss since April
Dow Jones climbed 138 points, buoyed by tech and energy
Nasdaq advanced 0.3%, driven by bitcoin rally and chip stocks
Coinbase gained 3.6% as bitcoin surged above $92,000
Meta (+1.4%) and Micron (+2.8%) led tech advances
Nvidia dropped 1%, down double-digits for the month
Fed rate cut speculation fuels optimism for December
CME futures trading halted temporarily due to data center outage
Treasury 10-year yield stable at 4.01%
Global Markets: Germany’s DAX, Britain’s FTSE 100, and France’s CAC 40 all ticked higher

A currency trader works near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Deep Look: U.S. Markets Rise to Close Out November Strong

On the final trading day of November, U.S. stocks moved higher, capping a four-day winning streak as investors grew increasingly optimistic about the Federal Reserve’s direction on interest rates. Despite a rocky start to the month and technical disruptions earlier in the day, the markets ended on a hopeful note.

Major Index Movements

The S&P 500 added 0.2%, coming just in time to avoid what would have been its first monthly decline since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 138 points, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.3%, supported by gains in major tech names and a sharp rebound in cryptocurrency prices.

The Thanksgiving week rally offered a boost to equities, helped by cooling inflation data and growing speculation that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates in December. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, traders now see an 87% chance of a rate cut when the Fed’s two-day meeting concludes on December 10.

Tech and Crypto Make Waves

Coinbase Global surged 3.6% after bitcoin jumped above $92,000, rebounding strongly from last week’s dip to $81,000. Despite the surge, bitcoin remains well below its record high of approximately $125,000 reached in early October.

Among big tech names:

Meta Platforms rose 1.4%
Micron Technology climbed 2.8%
Nvidia, despite recent success, fell 1% and faces a double-digit loss for November
Oracle also declined 2.3%, continuing its challenging month

Investors appear to be reassessing AI-driven tech valuations, causing volatility in high-growth sectors that had previously led the market.

Trading Disruption: Futures Temporarily Halted

Before the U.S. market open, futures trading for the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq was halted for several hours due to a technical issue tied to a CyrusOne data center outage. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) confirmed the cause and resumed operations later in the morning. The glitch did not affect regular trading hours on Wall Street, which closed early at 1 p.m. ET due to the Thanksgiving holiday schedule.

Fed Policy and Economic Uncertainty

The Fed has already cut interest rates twice in 2025 to stabilize a softening labor market. However, it faces a tricky balancing act: further rate cuts may support employment but risk reigniting inflation.

Recent Fed minutes from the October meeting revealed deep divisions among policymakers, highlighting the uncertainty ahead. Though corporate earnings have mostly impressed, broader economic data has been inconsistent.

Treasury Yields and International Highlights

The 10-year Treasury yield remained steady at 4.01%, reflecting tempered investor expectations for inflation and economic growth.

Globally, stock markets also experienced mild gains:

Germany’s DAX rose 0.3%, as traders awaited inflation data
Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.3%, led by energy and mining stocks
France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2%
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.2% to 50,253.91 — boosted by a surprise 3.2% increase in housing starts in October
South Korea’s Kospi, however, dropped 1.5% due to weaker industrial output, which fell 4% month-over-month in October