| Name | Daily Close | Daily Change | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 44765.71 | -248.33 | -0.55% |
| S&P 500 | 6075.11 | -11.38 | -0.19% |
| Nasdaq | 19700.26 | -34.86 | -0.18% |
| VIX | 13.54 | 0.09 | 0.67% |
| Gold | 2655.00 | -21.20 | -0.79% |
| Oil | 68.45 | -0.09 | -0.13% |
US MARKET
Stocks eased from record highs Thursday as investors awaited key U.S. jobs data to gauge the Federal Reserve’s December rate decision. The S&P 500 fell 0.2%, the Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.3%, and the Dow Jones dropped 0.6%, with Tesla rising on a Bank of America price target boost while Applied Materials declined after a downgrade.
Meme stocks like GameStop and AMC surged on renewed social media buzz.
American Airlines and Southwest raised profit forecasts on strong holiday demand, while Dollar General and Kroger narrowed their outlooks amid pricing pressures.
Attention now turns to Friday’s payrolls report, expected to show a 220,000 rise in jobs with unemployment steady at 4.1%. Analysts see potential for modest market moves, as any surprises in wage growth or labor market strength could impact the Fed’s upcoming decision.
LOCAL MARKET
Australian shares are expected to open slightly lower, following Wall Street’s dip as investors await the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for further interest rate signals. Futures suggest the S&P/ASX 200 will fall 0.2%, or 20 points, at Friday’s open, after reaching a record high of 8514.5 earlier this week.
Focus remains on the upcoming U.S. payrolls report, expected to show a strong rebound from October’s hurricane and strike-affected results. On the ASX, biotech Immutep is seen as a potential M&A target, with one of its drugs touted for significant revenue potential. Collins Foods trades ex-dividend Friday.