▲ Wall Street Closes Higher as M7 Rallies—Except Nvidia


The three major U.S. stock indices ended higher. While investor sentiment toward Nvidia soured early in the session, leading to a sharp drop, optimism surrounding the artificial intelligence (AI) theme fueled a rebound. However, Nvidia and AMD remained in negative territory at the close, highlighting a divergence in sentiment even within the AI sector.


▲ [Wall Street - First Report] M7 Rallies with Nvidia Left Behind—Markets End Strong


All three major U.S. stock indices closed higher. Despite a sharp early decline driven by weakening sentiment toward Nvidia, buying interest concentrated on AI-related stocks led to a recovery. Nevertheless, both Nvidia and AMD failed to reverse their losses by the close, underscoring mixed investor sentiment within the AI theme.


▲ Raymond James: "S&P 500 in Correction Phase—Further 8–10% Downside Possible"


Raymond James said the U.S. stock market, which has experienced heightened volatility this month, appears to have entered a correction phase, projecting a potential additional decline of 8–10%.


▲ Trump: "Only a Few Differences Remain on Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire—Tremendous Progress"


U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 25th (local time), "Over the past week, our team has made tremendous progress on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine." Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "The original 28-point peace plan drafted by the U.S. has been refined with additional input from both sides, and now only a few differences remain." He added, "As part of efforts to finalize the peace plan, I have instructed Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is scheduled to meet with the Ukrainian side."


▲ U.S. October Pending Home Sales Up 1.9% MoM—Beating Expectations


U.S. pending home sales for October improved, exceeding market expectations.


▲ Nvidia Counters Google AI Chip—"We Are a Generation Ahead"


On the 25th (local time), Nvidia stated, "Nvidia is a generation ahead of the industry." The company posted on X (formerly Twitter), "We welcome Google's success. They have made significant progress in AI, and we continue to supply chips to Google." Nvidia added, "Our AI chips run every AI model and are the only platform deployable in every computing environment."


▲ [New York Gold Prices] Rises Over 1% on Weak Consumption, Private Employment Data


International gold prices rose as weak U.S. employment data and lower-than-expected retail sales fueled expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December. Gold, which pays no interest, tends to be favored in low-rate environments. As of 12:30 p.m. (local time) on the 25th, February gold futures (GCZ5) on the COMEX division of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange were trading at $4,187.70 per troy ounce, up $56.90 (1.38%) from the previous settlement of $4,130.80.


▲ Trump: Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal "Very Close to Agreement—Clear Progress" (Update)


President Trump said on the 25th (local time) regarding the Russia-Ukraine peace agreement, "We are very close to an agreement. Let's see what happens." At the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon event, Trump said, "I ended eight wars in nine months and am working to resolve the last one." He added, "It's not easy, but we will get it done. I thought the war would end sooner, but there is clear progress."


▲ Expert Views on September U.S. Retail Sales


Analysts interpreted the September U.S. retail sales data as an outdated indicator but noted it signals a slowdown in the U.S. economy. On the 25th (local time), Oliver Allen, Senior Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said, "September retail sales are mostly old news at this point, but high-frequency and survey data suggest spending growth has slowed considerably in Q4 so far." He added, "A sluggish labor market and tariff-driven price increases continue to weigh on real incomes, indicating this slowdown is likely to persist."


▲ "Kevin Hassett Strongly Considered as Next Fed Chair in Trump Circle" (Update)


Kevin Hassett, Chairman of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), is reportedly a leading candidate for the next Federal Reserve Chair. On the 25th (local time), a foreign news outlet cited sources familiar with the matter, stating, "Hassett is regarded as a top candidate for the next Fed Chair among President Trump's aides and associates." The report added, "Some view Hassett as someone who would implement Trump's rate-cutting stance," noting, "Trump has long sought to exert control over the Fed."


▲ Fed Governor Myron: "Must Recognize Rising Unemployment—Large Rate Cuts Needed"


Federal Reserve Governor Steven Myron said on the 25th (local time), "We must recognize that unemployment continues to rise, which is a result of overly restrictive monetary policy." In an interview with Fox Business Network, Myron stated, "The economy is calling for large interest rate cuts to return monetary policy to neutral as quickly as possible." He added, "Given the economic outlook, I do not think the current situation is appropriate and believe rates should be cut significantly and rapidly."


▲ "Ukraine Potentially Agrees to Peace Deal with U.S." (Update)


ABC News reported on the 25th (local time) that "the Ukrainian delegation has agreed with the U.S. on the terms of a potential peace agreement." A U.S. official told ABC, "Ukraine has agreed to the peace deal. There are a few details to finalize, but they have agreed." U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reportedly met with the Ukrainian delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend and held secret talks with the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, UAE, starting the previous day.


▲ U.S. September Retail Sales Up 0.2% MoM—Signals Slowing Consumption (Comprehensive)


U.S. retail sales in September rose slightly but fell short of market expectations, also slowing compared to August's month-on-month growth, indicating weakening consumer sentiment. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce on the 25th (local time), September retail sales, seasonally adjusted, totaled $733.3 billion, up 0.2% from the previous month and 4.3% year-on-year.


▲ U.S. November CB Consumer Confidence Index Falls to 88.7—Below Expectations as Job, Income Outlook Worsens (Update)


U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in seven months. According to the Conference Board (CB) on the 25th (local time), the November Consumer Confidence Index (1985=100) was 88.7, down 6.8 points from October's 95.5 and the lowest since April (85.7). This was below the market forecast of 93.5.


(End)

All content has been translated by AI.
Copyright © Yonhap Infomax Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited.