Here are the key points from the article:
Global Markets
- US stocks look set to open lower later on.
- The S&P 500 fell below the flatline while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell slightly.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 28 points after flipping between positive and negative territory throughout the light trading session.
- Small cap stocks inched higher, sending the Russell 2000 up 0.9%.
Crypto
- Bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell to hover near the $96,000 level as volatile trading continued.
- Crypto-linked stocks like MicroStrategy (MSTR) tracked the declines.
Gold
- Gold prices saw a modest decline on Friday amid thin year-end trading, though they remained poised to post gains for the week as markets awaited economic signals under the incoming Trump administration.
- Gold futures slipped by nearly 0.4% to $2,641.30 per ounce.
Retail
- The number of UK retailers in financial distress rises, with 2,124 retailers in ‘critical financial distress’ in the first 11 weeks of the October-December quarter, a jump of around 25% quarter-on-quarter.
- Footfall across all UK retail destinations dropped by -4.9% compared to Boxing Day last year.
Asia
- South Korea’s KOSPI Composite index finished 1% lower as political turmoil continues to roil the region.
- Japan’s Nikkei rallied 1.8%, putting the index on course for its best year-end close since 1989.
- Toyota, Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing, and Sony supported the jump.
Year-End Wrap
- Brian McGleenon brings us the year-end crypto wrap — from bitcoin’s rally (BTC-USD) to institutional adoption and regulatory movements: read more here.
