The benchmark US stock market indices like the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and the S&P 500 opened higher as investors are now focusing their bets towards another US Federal Reserve rate cut on the cooling US inflation data released on Thursday, 18 December 2025.
The delayed US inflation data for November 2025 showed that consumer inflation cooled in the US economy. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.7% in the month of November, compared to a 3% CPI inflation level in the September 2025 data release.
Although inflation has been increasing due to the raging import tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on foreign nations on all imports into the United States, the November CPI data beat market expectations with a sudden cooling in the US economy.
Trump Media merger update
On Thursday, Trump Media & Technology Group said that the company will merge with TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion company, in an all-stock deal, which is valued at over $6 billion.
According to media reports, Trump Media’s parent company US President Donald Trump-owned Truth Social platform and TAE Technologies will each own nearly 50% of the combined entity. The company also said that the transaction values the TAE stock at $53.89 per share.
Dow Jones today
At 9:30 a.m. (EDT) opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.45% to open at 48,101.18 points, compared to 47,885.97 points at the previous market close. Marketwatch data shows that the index is trading 0.88% higher at 48,307.74 points during Thursday’s market session.
Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs Group, Caterpillar, Boeing, Home Depot, Sherwin-Williams, Cisco Systems, and Walt Disney Co. were among the top gainers during the early trading session on Wall Street.
While other companies like Procter & Gamble, International Business Machines Corp., UnitedHealth Group, Chevron Corp, Coca-Cola and Amgen were among the top laggards during Thursday’s market session.
S&P 500 today
The S&P 500 rose 0.84% to open at 6,778.06 points on Thursday, compared to 6,721.43 points at the previous market close. The index was trading 1.34% higher at 6,809.14 as of 10:53 a.m. (EDT), according to MarketWatch data.
Micron Technology, Sandisk Corp., Constellation Energy Corp. Western Digital Corp., AppLovin Corp., Vistra Corp., Lam Research Corp., GE Vernova Inc., lululemon athletica Inc., and Seagate Technology and Holdings PLC were among the gainers.
While FactSet Research Systems Inc., HP Inc., ServiceNow Inc., Elevance Health Inc., Diamondback Energy Inc., Marathon Petroleum Corp., Tractor Supply Co., Generac Holdings Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Co., and ConocoPhillips were among the laggards.
Nasdaq today
The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.40% to open at 23,012.063 points during Thursday’s Wall Street session, compared to 22,693.32 points at the previous market close. The index is trading 1.82% higher at 23,103.57 points as of 11 p.m. (EDT), according to MarketWatch data.
Athira Pharma Inc., Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd, urban-gro Inc., Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, CN Healthy Food Tech Group Corp., Innovative Solutions & Support Inc., FuelCell Energy Inc., Vivakor Inc., Beneficient, and Alpha Modus Holdings were among the gainers.
While others like Smart Digital Group Ltd, Actelis Networks Inc, Vision Marine Technologies Inc, Pyxis Oncology Inc, Werewolf Therapeutics Inc, Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc, Inno Holdings Inc., Mega Fortune Co. Ltd, Envirotech Vehicles Inc, and Gain Therapeutics Inc were among the laggards on Thursday.
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