US Stock Market Today: Nasdaq, Dow & S&P on the move – Apple and Microsoft lift markets despite a weak month for tech

US stock market opened higher on Friday even after a cooling issue at a data center halted futures trading at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4%. The S&P 500 gained 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 124 points, or 0.3%.

Trading resumed gradually through the morning. Volumes stayed thin because Wall Street returned from the Thanksgiving holiday for a shortened session, which often brings sharper swings.

Friday marks the final trading day of November. The Nasdaq remains down nearly 2% for the month, ending a seven-month winning streak.
Tech stocks fell sharply in November as investors questioned the profitability timelines for major AI companies. The S&P 500 is marginally lower for the month, tracking its first decline after six straight monthly gains. The Dow is nearly flat for November.

Still, hopes for a year-end rally remain as investors look for opportunities in beaten-down growth names trading at cheaper valuations.

Despite the weak month, the major indexes are closing out a strong week. The Dow is up almost 3% week to date. The S&P 500 is higher by 3%. The Nasdaq Composite has gained about 4% for the week. A rebound in large tech names helped lift market sentiment after last week’s declines. Airline stocks outperformed on Friday as the FAA projected the busiest Thanksgiving travel weekend in 15 years, with over 360,000 flights expected.

Alaska Air rose 0.4%, while United Airlines and JetBlue Airways each gained 0.3%. Travel demand and strong bookings continued to support airline shares through the week.

Holiday hiring is at decade-low levels despite strong consumer spending. Retailers are expected to hire between 265,000 to 365,000 seasonal workers, down from 442,000 in 2024. Challenger, Gray & Christmas data show seasonal hiring plans through October are the lowest since 2012. Interest in seasonal jobs is up 27% year-over-year, but opportunities remain limited.

Markets will close early on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, with no major economic releases or earnings scheduled. Analysts continue to project growth into 2026, with Deutsche Bank targeting an S&P 500 of 8,000 and HSBC and JPMorgan estimating 7,500.

Which stocks are making major moves today?

Several notable names moved in early trading. CME Group fell 0.7% after saying its markets were halted due to a cooling issue at CyrusOne data centers. The outage temporarily suspended trading in key US stock index futures.

Tilray Brands dropped 14% after announcing a 1-for-10 reverse stock split effective at the Dec. 2 market open.

SanDisk jumped more than 4% as the flash-memory maker officially joined the S&P 500 on Friday, following its spin-off from Western Digital earlier this year.

Despite the weak month, the major indexes are closing out a strong week. The Dow is up almost 3% week to date. The S&P 500 is higher by 3%. The Nasdaq Composite has gained about 4% for the week.

A rebound in large tech names helped lift market sentiment after last week’s declines.