Wednesday's FOMC meeting yielded a fresh interest rate cut, but bearish sentiment on Friday dampened gains. Investors will keep an eye on key economic data reports in the coming week.
Stocks
Markets were relatively quiet during the first half of the week as investors waited in anticipation for Wednesday's FOMC news. On Monday, several stocks in the tech sector got a boost, and on Tuesday, small cap stocks pushed higher on belief that Wednesday would yield a fresh interest rate cut. The belief would prove correct, with the Fed announcing a quarter percentage point cut on Wednesday, but also noting they may only cut rates once more in 2026. Stocks rose in the aftermath of the announcement, and into Thursday's session. Thursday's gains came despite a disappointing earnings report from the AI sector, which caused several key AI stocks to pull back. On Friday, however, bearishness in the AI sector weighed on the markets, causing the S&P 500 to fall as investors rotated into cyclical stocks. Overall, consumer services, non-energy minerals, and transportation were the strongest-performing sectors during the week, while electronic technology, technology services, and utilities lagged.
Bonds
US Treasury yields rose during the first half of the week in anticipation of Wednesday's FOMC news, but fell on Wednesday ahead of the actual announcement. They then fell again following the announcement, where the Fed noted they would be buying short-term bonds. However, they rose Friday due in part to new comments from a Fed member hinting at uncertainty regarding future rate cuts. Investors also noted that the decision to cut rates this week was one of the most debated among Fed members since a rate cut in 2019. New unemployment data on Thursday, which reported a surge in jobless claims, also influenced yields.
Oil
Oil prices fell during the week, influenced by both geopolitical developments and anticipation of Wednesday's FOMC news. The goal of interest rate cuts is to stimulate economic activity, which could result in higher demand for oil. However, uncertainty over whether supply might outpace demand made the outlook less clear for investors.
Gold
Gold prices followed up a relatively quiet prior week (where prices fell 0.5%) with a conclusive push higher. Historically, lower interest rates have been a bullish catalyst for gold prices, though past performance is no guarantee of future results. Elsewhere, silver prices hit a new all-time high.
Crypto
Bitcoin continued to creep higher this week, after making a short-term low just above $80,000 in mid-November, though Friday's bearishness in equities erased some of its gains. As with gold, lower interest rates have historically helped boost crypto prices, but it remains to be seen whether this plays out this time around. Meanwhile, ethereum and the altcoin market received a slightly stronger push higher compared to bitcoin this week. Ethereum was 0.7% higher on the week as of Friday's close, while bitcoin was down 0.09%.
| Past week | Year-to-date | 5-year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | –0.6% | 16.3% | 84.0% |
| Oil (WTI crude) | –4.5% | –21.4% | 17.0% |
| Gold (New York) | 2.2% | 62.8% | 129.5% |
| Bitcoin | –0.09% | –4.4% | 371.4% |
Source: Yahoo Finance, as of December 12, 2025.
KEY DATA FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 15
Several key economic reports will be released, including an update on CPI and GDP. The earnings week will include reports from real estate, tech, and retail corporations, among others.
| Heico ( |
Employment situation – Tuesday |
| Lennar ( |
Housing starts and permits – Tuesday |
| Micron Technology ( |
Jobless claims – Thursday |
| General Mills ( |
CPI – Thursday |
| Accenture ( |
GDP – Friday |
| Nike ( |
Existing home sales – Friday |
| See the full earnings calendar (login required). | See the full economic calendar. |
Source: Fidelity.com, as of December 12, 2025.