Nasdaq Gains Over 200 Points; US Inflation Slows To 2.7%

by | Dec 18, 2025 | General

U.S. stocks traded higher midway through trading, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining more than 200 points on Thursday.

The Dow traded up 0.44% to 48,097.08 while the NASDAQ jumped 1.08% to 22,938.56. The S&P 500 also rose, gaining, 0.76% to 6,772.76.

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Leading and Lagging Sectors

Consumer discretionary shares rose by 2% on Thursday.

In trading on Thursday, energy stocks fell by 0.5%.

Top Headline

U.S. inflation cooled more than expected in November, giving investors renewed confidence that price pressures are easing and strengthening expectations that the Federal Reserve’s easing cycle can stay on track into 2026.

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.7% year over year in November 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. The reading marked a robust decline from September’s 3% pace and came in below economists’ expectations of 3.1%.

Equities Trading UP
           

  • Athira Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:ATHA) shares shot up 84% to $7.62 after the company announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the rights for the development and commercialization of lasofoxifene.
  • Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (NASDAQ:DJT) got a boost, surging 29% to $13.47 after the company signed a merger agreement with TAE Technologies.
  • FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) shares were also up, gaining 32% to $10.47 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.

Equities Trading DOWN

  • Insmed Inc (NASDAQ:INSM) shares dropped 16% to $166.17 after the company announced the Phase 2b BiRCh study of brensocatib in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps did not meet its primary or secondary efficacy endpoints in either the 10 mg or 40 mg treatment arms.
  • Shares of Pyxis Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:PYXS) were down 55% to $1.52. The company announced preliminary data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical studies evaluating micvotabart pelidotin.
  • Actelis Networks Inc (NASDAQ:ASNS) was down, falling 47% to $0.59 after the company announced the pricing of its $5 million public offering of 6.25 million shares or pre funded warrants with 6.25 million five-year warrants at $0.80.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded up 1% to $56.47 while gold traded down 0.2% at $4,365.60.

Silver traded down 1.9% to $65.640 on Thursday, while copper rose 0.1% to $5.4360.

Euro zone

European shares were higher today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 gained 0.56%, while Spain’s IBEX 35 Index rose 0.60%. London’s FTSE 100 gained 0.17%, Germany’s DAX 40 rose 0.48% and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.47% during the session.

Asia Pacific Markets

Asian markets closed mixed on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei falling 1.03%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gaining 0.12%, China’s Shanghai Composite rising 0.16% and India’s BSE Sensex falling 0.09%.

Economics

  • The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index declined 8.5 points to a reading of -10.2 in December, compared to a reading of -1.7 in November and missing market estimates of -3.1.
  • U.S. initial jobless claims fell by 13,000 from the previous week to 224,000 in the week ending Dec. 13.
  • The annual inflation rate fell to 2.7% in December, recording the lowest level since July, versus market estimates of 3.1% and compared to 3% for September.

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