Nasdaq 100: Intel Leads Tech Stocks Higher, Nvidia Bucks Trend — Weekly Gains Hold

Wall Street Edges Higher on Quiet Post-Holiday Session

Stocks drifted higher Friday as trading resumed following the CME outage that briefly froze futures markets overnight. The S&P 500 added 0.41%, the Dow rose 0.54%, and the Nasdaq gained 0.43% — nothing dramatic, but green across the board.

The outage — traced to a cooling issue at CME’s data centers — could’ve rattled markets on a busier day. Instead, thin holiday volumes absorbed the disruption without much fuss. As one trader put it: lucky timing. But it’s a reminder of how interconnected the plumbing is. A longer outage on a risk-on day? That’s a different conversation.

Broad Strength, Healthcare the Lone Drag

Ten of eleven S&P sectors finished in the green. Energy led with a 1.5% gain, followed by financials at 0.85%. Healthcare was the outlier, slipping 0.7% as Eli Lilly dropped nearly 3% and dragged the group lower. Gilead, HCA, and Johnson & Johnson all finished in the red, adding to the sector’s woes.

Intel surged almost 9% to top the gainers — a standout move on a sleepy tape. Memory names tagged along: Western Digital climbed 3.3%, Micron added 2.5%. Whether this is a genuine rotation into semis or just low-volume noise remains to be seen. Alphabet added 1%, lifting communication services. Nvidia, interestingly, bucked the chip strength, slipping 1.7%.

Retailers Hold Firm as Holiday Shopping Kicks Off

Black Friday brought some life to consumer names. Walmart rose 0.6%, Amazon gained 1%, and Lululemon added 1.7%. Early data suggests online sales on Thanksgiving alone hit $8.6 billion — up 6% from last year. Shoppers are spending, even with tariff concerns and layoff headlines in the background. Retailers are leaning hard on discounts to keep momentum going through Cyber Monday.

Fed Bets Firm Up

Traders are increasingly pricing in a December rate cut. Odds of a 25-basis-point move have climbed to nearly 85%, lifted by dovish Fed commentary in recent weeks. The data picture remains muddled — delayed government releases haven’t helped clarity — but the market’s leaning toward easing. At least for now.

Month-End Check

November’s wrapping up on a mixed note. The S&P is headed for its worst month since April, the Nasdaq its weakest since March. The Dow, though, eked out a small gain. Buyers aren’t panicking, but they’re not exactly chasing either. Some of that caution traces back to stretched valuations in tech and lingering questions about AI spending. The billions flowing into infrastructure haven’t spooked anyone yet, but the “bubble” whispers are getting louder.

Breadth looked healthy: advancers topped decliners nearly 2-to-1 on the NYSE. The S&P posted 10 new 52-week highs with no new lows — a quiet but constructive read. Still, with markets closing early and volumes light, don’t read too much into one session. The real test comes next week when full liquidity returns.

More Information in our Economic Calendar.