FX.co ★ US Futures Ease Slightly as Markets Reopen After Christmas

U.S. equity futures faced a slight decline on Friday, as Wall Street readied itself to resume trading following a break for Christmas. During Wednesday's shortened pre-holiday session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average achieved a new record high, and the S&P 500 marked its second consecutive record close. This rally occurred even though recent data dampened expectations for immediate Federal Reserve interest rate reductions. The U.S. GDP growth for the third quarter stood at 4.3% year-on-year, surpassing predictions, bolstered by robust consumer spending, leading investors to reduce their expectations for a potential interest rate cut in January. Nike emerged as a leader in the S&P 500 and Dow, advancing by 4.6% after a disclosure revealed that Apple CEO Tim Cook acquired nearly USD 3 million in shares. Meanwhile, Intel reduced its earlier losses to close down approximately 0.5% following news that Nvidia stopped a chip-fabrication test using its process; Nvidia shares declined by 0.3%. Friday's trading session will proceed for a full day, though activity might remain subdued due to decreased trading volumes typical of the holiday period.