Today’s Outlook:
• US MARKET : The S&P500 closed higher Friday, as Intel led a climb in tech amid holiday-shortened trade.
Intel surged more than 10% after TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent Apple analyst, suggested that the chipmaker could begin making Apple’s lowest-end M chips. Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Broadcom Inc and Texas Instruments Incorporated were trading higher, while Nvidia continued to stumble amid concerns about rising data center competition.
The major U.S. averages have rebounded this week, aided by renewed bets that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month. Although some Fed policymakers have called for borrowing costs to remain unchanged at their current range of 3.75% to 4% due to a recent lack of fresh economic data, other officials have argued for a cut to help bolster an ailing American labor market. The Fed previously slashed rates in October and September. According to CME FedWatch, there is now a roughly 85% chance of a quarter-point drawdown in rates at the Fed’s December 9-10 gathering, up sharply from last week.
Meanwhile, speculation over a more dovish successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell also aided sentiment, after a report said White House economic adviser Director Kevin Hassett was the front-runner to be the next Fed Chair. Hassett is expected to largely back President Donald Trump’s demands for sharply lower interest rates. This has helped to ease emerging fears around a possible bubble forming in the artificial intelligence boom. These concerns, driven in large part by frothy tech stock valuations, circular financing in the AI sector, and an uncertain economic backdrop, have threatened to weigh on stocks throughout the month.
• EUROPEAN MARKET : The pan-European Stoxx 600 index edged 0.2% higher to 576.34. Elsewhere, the DAX in Germany, CAC 40 in France and the FTSE 100 in the United Kingdom all rose around 0.3% on Friday. European stocks closed higher on Friday, as investors assessed whether the U.S. Federal Reserve will roll out another interest rate reduction in December.
• ASIAN MARKET : Investors in Asia will be looking to China’s November manufacturing purchasing managers’ index from RatingDog, a private survey of mainly export-focused firms.
The gauge follows official data released Sunday showing China’s factory activity improving slightly in November, but remained in contraction for the eighth consecutive month. Services weakened as the lift from earlier holidays faded.
• COMMODITIES: Oil prices rose more than 1.5% on Monday after the OPEC+ meeting on Sunday decided against earlier planned production rises in the first quarter of next year.Brent crude futures climbed 94 cents, or 1.51%, to USD 63.32 a barrel by 2327 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at USD 59.45 a barrel, up 90 cents, or 1.54%. OPEC+ agreed to leave oil output levels unchanged for the first quarter of 2026 at its meeting as the group slows its push to regain market share amid fears of a looming supply glut.
• INDONESIA : The JCI closed in the red zone, pulling back -0.43% to the 8508.7 level, where its next footing is trying to hold above the 8400–8450 area as the next support level.
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