Today, Thursday, November 27, 2025, marks a pause for Wall Street as U.S. stock markets are fully closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq will remain shut, with no equity, ETF, or options trading taking place. The U.S. bond markets are also closed. Trading activity is set to resume tomorrow, Friday, November 28, albeit with a shortened session, opening at 9:30 AM ET and closing early at 1:00 PM ET.
Market Momentum Ahead of the Holiday
Despite today's closure, the preceding trading day, Wednesday, November 26, saw U.S. stocks extending their winning streak for a fourth consecutive session. This rally was largely driven by growing optimism surrounding potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in December. Traders are currently pricing in an approximately 83% probability of a rate cut next month, according to data from CME Group.
Major market indexes recorded solid gains on Wednesday:
- The S&P 500 Index climbed 0.69%, closing at 6,812.61.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.67%, reaching 47,427.12.
- The Nasdaq Composite, heavily influenced by technology stocks, rose 0.82% to finish at 23,214.69.
Technology companies were a significant driver of Wednesday's upward movement, with many sectors within the S&P 500 also closing higher. This sustained rebound has helped major indexes recover from earlier losses experienced this month.
Futures and Premarket Indicators for Friday
While U.S. markets are closed today, futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were reported as "nearly unchanged" or "edging higher" this morning, reflecting continued optimism for rate cuts. This suggests that the positive sentiment from Wednesday's session may carry over into Friday's abbreviated trading. Early European and Asian markets showed mixed to positive movements, with Japan's Nikkei 225 adding 1.2% and Germany's DAX climbing 0.2%.
Several individual stocks also showed pre-market movements today (November 27th), indicating potential sentiment for Friday's open. Among the pre-market gainers were Embraer S.A. (ERJ) up 5.94%, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (RGTIW) gaining 3.50%, SailPoint, Inc. (SAIL) rising 3.43%, Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN) up 2.95%, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) increasing by 2.30%. Conversely, some pre-market losers included Eni S.p.A. (E) down 3.83%, Trimble Inc. (TRMB) falling 2.44%, Veralto Corporation (VLTO) declining 2.25%, and Oracle Corporation (ORCL) dropping 2.13%.
Upcoming Market Events and Economic Data
With the Thanksgiving holiday, the economic calendar for the U.S. is quiet today. However, investors will be looking ahead to key data releases and earnings reports in the coming days. The Federal Reserve's anecdotal look at the economy in November indicated a sputtering job market and moderate inflation.
Looking beyond the holiday, the schedule includes:
- Friday, November 28: U.S. markets close early at 1:00 PM ET. No major economic data or earnings reports are anticipated.
- Monday, December 1: The November ISM Manufacturing Index and October construction spending data are expected.
- Tuesday, December 2: Earnings reports are scheduled from Marvell Technology (MRVL) and CrowdStrike (CRWD).
- Wednesday, December 3: Key economic data includes the ADP November employment report, November ISM Services Index, and September industrial production. Several companies are also set to release earnings, including DollarTree (DLTR), Macy's (M), Salesforce (CRM), and Snowflake (SNOW).
Globally, the Bank of Korea recently maintained its policy rate at 2.5%, aiming to support financial stability.
Major Stock News and Corporate Developments
Several companies have been in the news over the past 24-48 hours, influencing market sentiment:
- Symbotic (SYM) saw a significant surge of 12.95% following strong earnings results and positive analyst upgrades, highlighting continued revenue and margin growth.
- Robinhood Markets (HOOD) jumped 10.93% on news of a new joint venture aimed at expanding into futures and derivatives trading, signaling a strategic move to broaden its market presence.
- Bloom Energy (BE) also experienced a notable climb of 7.26%.
- On the downside, Zscaler (ZS) dropped 13.03% after analysts trimmed price targets following its underwhelming Q1 results and guidance.
- Workday (WDAY) declined 7.85% after reporting mixed quarterly results, leading to several analyst price target cuts.
- Deere (DE) fell 5.67% after its latest earnings report showed lower net income for both the fourth quarter and the full year.
- Technology giants like Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) contributed to Wednesday's rally, gaining 1.4% and 1.8% respectively. Broadcom (AVGO) also added 3.3%.
- Alphabet (GOOGL) Class A shares reached a 52-week high earlier in the week, rising 3.46%.
- Sandisk (SNDK) is set to join the S&P 500 on Friday, November 28. The company has seen an impressive 512% increase in its stock price in 2025 since its split from Western Digital, driven by strong growth prospects.
- Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) reported a 78% sequential decline in adjusted EBITA for the September quarter, missing estimates due to higher quick commerce losses and increased investments in AI. Despite this, Morningstar maintains a fair value estimate of $258 per ADS, considering the stock undervalued due to strong execution and cloud business potential.
- In pre-market trading ahead of the holiday, Petco (WOOF) soared over 16% after beating earnings expectations and reaffirming its fiscal 2025 sales outlook, despite a slight dip in comparable store sales. Similarly, Urban Outfitters (URBN) saw a 15% jump in pre-market after reporting impressive earnings and revenue. Dell (DELL) also gained nearly 5% in pre-market, with earnings beating expectations and strong Q4 revenue guidance, citing accelerating AI momentum.
As investors take a break for Thanksgiving, the focus shifts to the upcoming shortened trading session on Black Friday and the economic data and earnings scheduled for early December, all against a backdrop of continued speculation regarding the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy.
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.