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Good morning.
Merry Christmas Eve! It looks like markets are wrapping up 2025 on a high note. If you own assets, congratulations; the Santa Clause rally seems to have arrived.
The S&P 500 notched a record close
US GDP grew the fastest it has in 2 years last month
Apple CEO Tim Cook just poured oil on the fiery Nike narrative
Silver and Gold hit new highs, just in time for Christmas
The economy’s running hotter than expected, the Fed’s next move is up for debate, and Google is ending the year as AI’s biggest winner.
Let’s take a look.
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📰 Market Headlines
Markets extended their holiday rally on Tuesday.
The S&P 500 had a record close at 6,909.79 and a fourth straight gain.
Gold hit $4,500 and Silver broke $70.
The Nasdaq rose 0.6%, the Dow added 0.2%, and gold and silver surged to fresh highs. Traders trimmed bets on near-term rate cuts after GDP data showed the US economy grew 4.3% in Q3, far above expectations.
Apple CEO Tim Cook just bought $2.9 million in Nike (NKE) stock. This further builds the “buy the Nike dip” narrative. To recap, NKE fell 13% after reporting awful sales in China. A Jefferies analyst then announced a $110 price target for the stock; NKE currently sits at $57.34. Tim Cook is a director on Nike’s board and already held ~50,000 NKE shares before buying these new 50,000 shares.
Fed chair contender Kevin Hassett said the US is “way behind the curve” on lowering rates, arguing that the AI boom is fueling growth while easing inflation. Hassett, a top White House economic advisor, is seen as a leading candidate to replace Jerome Powell when his term ends in May. President Trump is expected to announce his pick soon, promising “someone who believes in lower interest rates by a lot.” More here.
Watch “social arbitrage” investor Chris Camillo explain how “reading TikTok comments for 3-4 hours per day helps him earn ~75% annualized returns in the market.” This type of alternative data is what AltIndex equips you with, but without hours of research (including Reddit and Twitter mentions, social sentiment summaries, and way more).
US GDP grew by 4.3% last month, which was far higher than the expected 3.2%. Shockingly, consumer spending was up by 3.5% in Q3. It appears that although sentiment is down, the economy is still chugging along.
Google ended 2025 on top of the AI race, overtaking OpenAI with its Gemini 3 model and a booming cloud business. Google Cloud revenue jumped 34% year over year to $15.1 billion, and more than 70% of its enterprise clients now use AI tools. Shares rose 1.4% Tuesday as analysts called Google the “best-positioned Mag 7 stock” for 2026.
The US will begin garnishing wages for student loan defaults starting in January, marking a major escalation in debt collection. The Education Department said 1,000 borrowers will receive notices the week of Jan. 7, with the number rising monthly. The move could hit low-income households hardest, as 5 million borrowers are already in default.
JPMorgan is considering letting institutional clients trade crypto, including spot and derivatives. Same CEO who called Bitcoin a "pet rock."
Oil prices climbed for a fifth straight session, with WTI settling above $58 a barrel and Brent above $62. The US has seized multiple Venezuelan tankers as part of a crackdown on Maduro’s oil exports, tightening supply. Still, analysts say the market remains well supplied heading into 2026. Bloomberg reports WTI is down 19% year-to-date, its steepest annual drop since 2020.
😱 Fear & Greed Index
🤖 AI/Future/Tech News
AI data centers forced aging peaker plants back online, with PJM electricity prices up 800% this summer. At least 13 fossil-fueled plants delayed retirement.
New York's AI safety bill was watered down after Big Tech and university lobbying softened penalties and disclosure deadlines.
President Trump delayed chip tariffs on China until 2027, preserving a trade truce while negotiating rare-earth supplies.
🪙 Crypto
Crypto theft hit a record $2.7 billion in 2025, led by North Korea-linked hackers who stole $2 billion through major breaches like the $1.4 billion Bybit hack.
Bitcoin slipped to $87,400 ahead of Friday's record $28 billion options expiry, which analysts warn could amplify volatility.
US Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF flows turned negative in November, with the 30-day moving average staying below zero as institutions pulled back.
❓Market Trivia Corner
🎤️ What you said last time
Correct answer: Euronext
🧠 The Missing (Market) Links
Fascinating article about how steel defined the industrial revolution, semiconductor chips defined the software age, and “infinite minds” of AI modelsare the material of the current era.
Corporate debt issuance hit $1.7 trillion in 2025, with 30% tied to AI data centers and energy manufacturing.
Japan's Hakuba ski resort will fine tourists ¥50,000 starting July 2026 for loud music, graffiti, and nighttime fireworks as visitors rose from 330k to 2.71M.
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📜 Quote of the Day
Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre
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Brandon & Blake of Invested Inc
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