Today, Thursday, November 27, 2025, marks a quiet day for the U.S. stock markets as they observe the Thanksgiving Day holiday, with markets fully closed. However, the preceding trading day, Wednesday, November 26, saw a robust performance across major U.S. indexes, driven largely by increasing optimism surrounding potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in December and continued enthusiasm for the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
Major Market Indexes: A Look Back at Wednesday's Performance
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks closed broadly higher, extending their winning streak for a fourth consecutive session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose by 0.67%, adding 314.67 points to close at 47,427.12. The S&P 500 climbed 0.69%, gaining 46.73 points to reach 6,812.61. Technology stocks were particularly strong, propelling the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) up by an impressive 0.82%, or 189.1 points, to finish at 23,214.69. This marked the Nasdaq's strongest Thanksgiving week performance since 2008. The Volatility Index (VIX), often referred to as the "fear index," also reflected this positive sentiment, falling 7.38% to 17.19.
The primary catalyst for this upward momentum was the heightened expectation of a Federal Reserve rate cut at its December meeting. Traders are currently betting on an 83% to 85% probability of a rate reduction next month, according to data from CME Group and other analyses. Dovish remarks from several Fed officials and recent economic data, including a decline in first-time unemployment claims to 216,000 last week, have fueled these expectations. The Fed's "Beige Book" report, assessing the current state of the American economy, indicated little overall change in economic activity, with consumer spending and employment showing slight declines. This suggests the central bank may have room to ease monetary policy further.
Looking ahead, prominent financial institutions like JPMorgan are projecting continued strength for U.S. equities. JPMorgan forecasts the S&P 500 to reach 7,500 by the end of 2026, with a potential surge past 8,000 if the Federal Reserve implements a more aggressive easing of monetary policy. This optimistic outlook is underpinned by an anticipated 13% to 15% earnings growth for U.S. companies over the next two years, supported by the S&P 500's 13.4% annual increase in the latest earnings season.
Global Market Snapshot on Thursday
While U.S. markets are closed, global markets have presented a mixed picture on Thursday. Asian markets largely advanced, tracking the positive overnight performance on Wall Street. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 1.2%, Taiwan's Taiex index added 0.5%, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7%, and the Shanghai Composite climbed 0.3%.
In contrast, European markets were mixed in early trading. Germany's DAX saw a modest climb of 0.2%, while Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2%, and the CAC 40 in Paris was down less than 0.1%.
Indian markets, however, ended mixed, with the BSE Sensex closing nearly flat and the NSE Nifty 50 experiencing mild pressure. Despite this, the Nifty 50 touched a new high of 26,285.95, and the Sensex also saw a sharp climb in early trade, hitting 85,843.82.
Key Upcoming Market Events
Beyond the immediate holiday, investors will be closely watching several developments. The Federal Reserve's December FOMC meeting remains a pivotal event, with market participants eagerly awaiting further signals on interest rate policy. Economic data releases, such as the next update to the GDP deflator after the ONS Quarterly National Accounts on December 22, 2025, will also provide crucial insights into the health of the economy.
Major Stock News and Corporate Announcements
Several companies have made headlines in the last 24 hours with significant announcements and stock movements:
- Whirlpool India (WHIRLPOOL) saw its promoter reportedly considering selling up to a 7.5% stake via a block deal. This news contributed to Whirlpool of India tumbling 11.42% in Indian trading today due to the large block deal.
- Wipro (WIPRO), the Indian IT major, announced a strategic alliance with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) to accelerate breakthroughs in agentic AI, embodied AI, quantum AI, and quantum-safe solutions.
- Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NTDOY) revealed it has entered into a share transfer agreement to acquire shares of Bandai Namco Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd., which will be renamed Nintendo Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd., as part of an effort to strengthen its development structure.
- HP Inc. (HPQ) announced plans to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs globally by 2028. This move is part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and integrate artificial intelligence to enhance product development, customer satisfaction, and overall productivity.
- Japanese beer giant Asahi Group Holdings (ASAHY) disclosed that a cyber-attack in September potentially leaked the personal information of over 1.5 million customers.
- On the U.S. market front from Wednesday's trading, Symbotic (SYM) surged 12.95% following strong earnings results and positive analyst upgrades.
- Conversely, Zscaler (ZS) experienced a significant drop of 13.03% after analysts trimmed price targets due to underwhelming Q1 results and guidance.
- Workday (WDAY) declined 7.85% after reporting mixed quarterly results, which led to several analyst price target cuts.
- Deere & Company (DE) fell 5.67% after the company reported lower net income for both the fourth quarter and the full year, coupled with a downbeat forecast.
- Robinhood Markets (HOOD) jumped 10.93% on news of a new joint venture aimed at expanding into futures and derivatives trading.
- Bloom Energy (BE) also saw a notable climb of 7.26%.
- Among the large-cap tech stocks, Oracle (ORCL) led gains, jumping 4% after Deutsche Bank reiterated a bullish view. Nvidia (NVDA) rose 1.4%, and Microsoft (MSFT) gained 1.8%. However, Alphabet (GOOGL) saw a slight dip, falling 1.1%.
As the Thanksgiving holiday pauses U.S. trading, the underlying sentiment remains cautiously optimistic, with investors keenly focused on the Federal Reserve's next steps and the continued performance of key economic indicators and corporate earnings.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.