Daily Market Insights - December 24, 2025

Market Overview

As of December 24, 2025, equity futures indicate a flat opening for the U.S. markets, with S&P futures down by 2 points and Nasdaq futures up by 4 points. The market is set to close early at 1:00 p.m. ET for Christmas Eve.

Recent Market Performance

On December 23, the S&P 500 reached a record closing high of 6,909.79, driven by strong performance in mega-cap technology stocks, despite lower-than-average trading volume. The advance Q3 GDP reading of 4.3% exceeded expectations, which has tempered market expectations for further Federal Reserve easing.

Key Economic Data

Market participants are awaiting the weekly initial claims report, expected at 8:30 a.m. ET, with a consensus of 226,000 claims. Additionally, the MBA Mortgage Applications Index showed a decrease of 5.0% for the week ending December 13.

Corporate News Highlights

• BP is nearing a deal to sell a majority stake in Castrol to Stonepeak.
• Snowflake is in discussions to acquire Observe.
• A federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration regarding the H1B Visa fee.

International Market Developments

Asian markets showed mixed results, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.1% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng up 0.2%. In Europe, markets are mostly closed for the holiday, with the STOXX Europe 600 up 0.4% before the early closures.

Sector Performance

The information technology sector led gains on December 23, with notable performances from NVIDIA and Broadcom. The energy sector also saw modest gains, while consumer staples and healthcare sectors experienced slight declines.

Conclusion

Overall, the market sentiment remains cautious ahead of the holiday, with a focus on economic indicators and corporate developments that could influence trading in the coming days.