Stock Market News for Nov 24, 2025

U.S. stock markets closed sharply higher on Friday to complete a disappointing week. Market participants were enthused following the statement of a top-level Fed official indicating another interest rate cut in December. All three major stock indexes ended in positive territory. However, for the week as a whole, these indexes finished in negative territory.How Did the Benchmarks Perform?The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) advanced 1.1% or 493.15 points to close at 46,245.41. Notably, 25 components of the 30-stock index ended in positive territory, while five finished in negative territory. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite finished at 22,273.08, rising 0.9% or 195.04 points due to the strong performance of technology stocks. The S&P 500 gained1% to finish at 6,602.99. All 11 sectors of the broad-market index ended in positive territory. The Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB), the Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV), the Consumer Discretionary Select SPDR (XLY), the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR (XLRE) appreciated 2.2%, 2.1%, 2%, 1.85 and 1.3%, respectively.The fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was down 11.3% to 23.43. A total of 21.06 billion shares were traded on Friday, higher than the last 20-session average of 20.03 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a 3.1-to-1 ratio. On the Nasdaq, a 2.75-to-1 ratio favored advancing issues.Positive Indications for Rate CutOn Nov 21, New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said that he expects another cut of 25 basis-points in the Fed fund rate in the upcoming December FOMC meeting. If this happens, it will be the third-rate cut of 25 basis points each in 2025. The existing benchmark lending rate is in the range of 3.75-4%.Williams said “I view monetary policy as being modestly restrictive, although somewhat less so than before our recent actions. Therefore, I still see room for a further adjustment in the near term to the target range for the federal funds rate to move the stance of policy closer to the range of neutral, thereby maintaining the balance between the achievement of our two goals.”The NY Fed President believes labor market weakness is a bigger threat to the economy at present rather than higher inflation concerns. The central bank is scheduled to conduct its last FOMC meeting of this year from Dec. 9 to Dec. 10.Investors Welcome Williams’ ViewFollowing John Williams’ statement, the CME FedWatch shows a 71% probability of a 25-basis-points rate cut in December. This probability was as low as 39.1% before NY Fed President’s comments. A lower interest rate regime is likely to raise consumption power of individuals during the ongoing holiday season. Consequently, stock prices of big wholesale retailers such as The TJX Companies Inc. TJX, Lowe's Companies Inc. LOW and McDonald's Corp. MCD increased 2.3%, 2.6% and 1.7%, respectively. All three stocks currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Economic DataThe University of Michigan reported that the final index for November consumer sentiment came in at 51 compared with 53.6 in October and November’s preliminary index of 50.3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was also 51. The current economic condition index for November was 51.1 compared with 58.6 in October. Consumer expectations in November came in at 51 compared with 50.3 in October. Also, 1-year short-term inflation expectation fell marginally to 4.5% in November from 4.6% in October. Long-term inflation expectation declined to 3.4% in November from 3.9% in October. Weekly RoundupLast week was disappointing for Wall Street. Three major stock indexes —– the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite —– tumbled 2%, 25 and 2.7%, respectively. Extremely overstretched valuations of AI infrastructure stocks and concerns that AI hyperscalers are not in a position to monetize their massive capes spending anytime soon unnerved investors. 5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. They includeStock #1: A Disruptive Force with Notable Growth and ResilienceStock #2: Bullish Signs Signaling to Buy the DipStock #3: One of the Most Compelling Investments in the MarketStock #4: Leader In a Red-Hot Industry Poised for GrowthStock #5: Modern Omni-Channel Platform Coiled to SpringMost of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +171%, +209% and +232%.Download Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback free today.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX): Free Stock Analysis Report Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW): Free Stock Analysis Report McDonald's Corporation (MCD): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks