US Open: Wall Street Ends the Week on a Strong Note

The opening of the last Friday before the holidays is taking place in an extremely positive atmosphere, with major Wall Street indices posting clear gains. The S&P 500 is hovering around 6800 points, up about 0.7%, while the Nasdaq is rising 1%, reflecting a gradual return of risk appetite after recent market fluctuations. Gains are broad-based, with no signs of panic or sharp reversals, suggesting that investors are increasingly accepting the new "post-Fed" landscape of interest rates and inflation and are slowly getting used to the current market volatility.

The dust is settling after the recent Fed meeting and a series of macroeconomic data releases, including a lower-than-expected inflation reading. These developments have reinforced the narrative of possible interest rate cuts in 2026, and the market's focus is now shifting back from monetary policy to corporate fundamentals and earnings prospects. At the same time, volatility related to today’s record derivative expirations remains under control, further supporting a stable and orderly session and enhancing investors’ sense of security ahead of the holiday break.

Source: xStation5

S&P 500 futures (US500) are rising sharply following a dynamic breakout after several days of consolidation and an earlier correction, indicating a return of buyers to the market. Prices have moved above the 25, 50, and 100-period EMA moving averages, which are starting to turn upward, providing solid support for the current upward move and strengthening the buyers’ advantage. The RSI indicator is moving toward higher levels while remaining below the classic overbought zone, suggesting that the market still has room for further gains without overheating. After a series of local lows, the market is forming progressively higher lows, and a breakout above recent local highs opens the way to test additional resistance levels around this week’s highs.
Source: xStation5

Corporate News
CoreWeave shares (CRWV.US) are up more than 10% in today’s session after Citi resumed its “buy” recommendation, highlighting high risk but pointing to very strong demand and good visibility of available computing capacity. Although the bank lowered the target price to $135 from over $190 previously, it emphasized that capacity is effectively sold out through 2026, with client discussions already extending into 2027. Analysts believe that short-term delays do not change the positive outlook, and the company’s growth is expected to accelerate in 2026.

Palo Alto Networks shares (PANW.US) are rising after the company announced an expanded partnership with Google Cloud in response to a growing number of cyberattacks targeting artificial intelligence systems and cloud infrastructure. According to Palo Alto’s latest report, nearly all surveyed companies experienced at least one attack on their AI environments in the past year, and more than four in ten organizations reported a notable increase in threats targeting APIs. The new partnership aims to provide end-to-end security for AI solutions at every stage, from software development to operation in Google Cloud.

Nike shares (NKE.US) are down about 10% in today’s session despite beating market expectations for revenue and earnings in the second fiscal quarter. Investor reaction shows that short-term earnings beats are losing significance, while key concerns focus on shrinking margins, weakness in China, and the lack of a credible turnaround story. Sales were maintained mainly through a return to wholesale channels, but this came at the cost of profitability. Gross margin fell sharply to 40.6%, weighed down by tariffs and aggressive promotions aimed at reducing inventory. China performed particularly poorly, with double-digit sales declines and continued pressure on profits.

NANO Nuclear Energy shares (NNE.US) are up about 2% today following the announcement of results and a plan to accelerate work on the KRONOS MMR reactor. The company has a strong cash position, and management plans to submit a construction permit application soon while continuing licensing procedures.