Welcome to How Are Markets.
Friday. A nice, strong end to the week for stocks. Cooler CPI on Wednesday flipped the switch and helped tech recover some losses from earlier in the week. Semiconductor names stabilized, and investors selectively rotated back into AI infrastructure plays.
See the full breakdown below!
📊 Market Close: 12/19/25
Nasdaq: (+1.3%) to $23,307.62
S&P 500: (+0.9%) to $6,834.50
Dow Jones: (+0.4%) to $48,134.89
Bitcoin: (+3.0%) to ~$88,208
Gold: (+2.0%) to ~$4,328
10yr Treasury yields rise to ~4.16%
📰 Major Headlines
AI Jitters Ease as CPI Cools ❄
Cooler CPI report helped restore confidence after earlier AI-driven selling. While inflation data moved in the right direction, investors remain cautious, treating the rebound as a sign of stabilization rather than confirmation that the macro inflation picture has fully cleared.
CoreWeave Rebounds on Analyst Optimism ⚡
AI infrastructure provider CoreWeave surged after a major Wall Street firm initiated coverage with a buy rating, citing accelerating demand for AI compute and continued tightness in GPU supply.
ByteDance and TikTok Deal Progress📱
Shares of Oracle and other cloud-related stocks moved higher after reports that TikTok parent ByteDance finalized agreements to restructure TikTok’s U.S. operations. The development is aimed at resolving national security concerns and avoiding a potential U.S. ban, helping lift sentiment across software and data infrastructure names.
📈 Earnings & Company News
CoreWeave (+23%): Rallied sharply, supported by renewed confidence after early-week weakness and strong demand for AI compute.
Nvidia (+3.9%)
Micron (+7.0%): Continued to outperform as optimism around AI-driven memory demand lifted the broader semiconductor space.'
Broadcom (+3.2%)
Oracle (+6.6%): Shares jumped after progress on a TikTok-related U.S. joint venture improved sentiment around cloud and enterprise software names.
Nike (-10.0%): Slid sharply after flagging weaker sales in China, lowering sales outlook for 2026, and ongoing margin pressure.
Carnival (+9.8%): Rallied after posting strong earnings and upbeat guidance, leading leisure stocks higher.
Thanks for reading!
— Gavin, How Are Markets
Daily Stock Market Update Videos ⏱ → @HowAreMarkets
All How Are Markets Newsletters → How Are Markets Home
Contact Us: [email protected]
⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor — this newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing here should be taken as financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Do your own research before making investment decisions.