Stocks Waver as Investors Await Fed Decision and Economic Data

## Major Index Performance- **Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI):** Ticked down 86.06 points, or 0.2%, to close at 43,828.06. Seventeen components of the 30-stock index ended in negative territory, while 13 ended in positive[1].- **S&P 500:** Remained virtually unchanged to close at 6,051.09. Eight of the 11 broad sectors of the benchmark index closed in the red[1].- **NASDAQ Composite:** Gained 23.88 points, or 0.1%, to close at 19,926.72[1].## Key Factors Driving Today's Market Direction- **Inflation Numbers and Fed Expectations:** Investors are optimistic about a potential rate cut from the Fed’s December meeting, driven by recent inflation numbers[1][5].- **Tech Stocks Performance:** The market was driven by the performance of tech stocks, which have continued a positive run[1].## Notable Sector Performance- **Top Gainers:** - Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) rose 0.4%[1].- **Top Decliners:** - Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) fell 1.2%. - Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) fell 0.9%. - Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) fell 0.5%[1].## Market Highlights- **Most Actively Traded Stocks:** No specific details provided, but decliners outnumbered advancers by a 2.23-to-1 ratio on the NYSE[1].- **Biggest Percentage Gainers and Losers:** The NASDAQ Composite recorded 75 new highs and 199 new lows[1].- **Significant Market-Moving News Events:** - Expectations from the Fed based on inflation numbers and tech stock performance[1][5].- **Important Economic Data Releases and Their Impact:** - No economic data was released on Friday[1].## Technical Analysis- **Current Market Trend:** Mixed, with the Dow and some sectors declining while the NASDAQ and tech sectors gained[1].- **Key Support and Resistance Levels:** Not specified in the sources.- **Trading Volume Analysis:** A total of 12.6 billion shares were traded on Friday, lower than the last 20-session average of 14 billion[1].- **VIX Movement and Implications:** The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) decreased 0.8% to 13.81, indicating reduced market volatility[1].## Forward-Looking Elements- **Pre-Market Futures Indication:** U.S. stock futures were trading flat on Monday morning, with futures on the NASDAQ 100, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and S&P 500 up 0.05%, 0.06%, and 0.09%, respectively[5].- **Key Events to Watch for Tomorrow:** - Federal Reserve’s policy meeting decision, where a 25-basis-point interest rate cut is widely expected[5]. - Release of the preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report[5].- **Important Upcoming Earnings Releases:** No specific details provided.- **Potential Market Catalysts:** - Fed’s interest rate decision and PMI data release[5].This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI