Wall Street Rallies on Cooling Inflation, Micron Surge
Wall Street saw a strong rebound on Thursday, with all major indexes turning green after a cooler-than-expected inflation report and strong earnings from Micron Technology boosted investor confidence. The combination of falling inflation and positive news from the tech sector sparked a broad market rally, especially in technology and semiconductor stocks.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by just 2.7% year-over-year in November 2025. That’s a noticeable slowdown from the previous 3% and well below economists’ expectations of 3.1%. Core inflation, which removes the more volatile food and energy prices, also fell to 2.6%—its lowest level since March 2021. This gave investors hope that the Federal Reserve could start cutting interest rates sooner than expected.
By midday, all major U.S. stock indexes were firmly in the green. The Nasdaq 100, which is heavily weighted with tech companies, led the way with a 2.2% gain, bouncing back after a sharp drop the day before.
Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) was a standout performer, surging over 13% after beating earnings estimates and giving a strong forecast. The company cited tight supply and strong pricing for high-bandwidth memory chips, which are essential for artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This upbeat outlook eased fears that the AI investment boom might be cooling off.
Micron’s strong results lifted other chip stocks as well. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: SOXX), which tracks the broader semiconductor sector, climbed 2.6% after four straight days of losses.
Speculative trading also made a comeback. Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT) jumped 34% after announcing plans for a $6 billion merger with TAE Technologies, a company working on fusion energy. The move sparked renewed interest in companies tied to AI and future energy needs.
The softer inflation report pushed bond yields lower, with the 10-year Treasury yield slipping to 4.12%. Lower yields often support stock prices by reducing borrowing costs and making equities more attractive than bonds.
In commodities, oil prices continued to rise for the second straight day, up 0.9% to $56 per barrel. Gold edged down 0.2% to $4,330, while silver dropped 1.8% to $65 an ounce.
Despite the positive momentum in stocks, cryptocurrencies didn’t fully join the rally. Bitcoin was up just 0.4%, trading at $86,500, and Ethereum gained 0.7% to $2,850.
Looking at key ETFs:
– The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: VOO) rose 1.2% to $624.17
– The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE: DIA) moved up 0.7% to $483.88
– The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), tracking top tech stocks, jumped 2% to $612.47
– The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE: IWM), which tracks small-cap stocks, increased 1.2% to $250.39
– The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLY) was among the best performers, up 2.3%
– The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLE) lagged behind, falling 1.3%
Top movers in the Russell 1000 included Micron Technology (+14.3%), Trump Media & Tech Group (+37.3%), and Rocket Lab (+9.1%). On the downside, Insmed Inc. and Inspire Medical Systems both dropped over 16%, while Birkenstock Holding fell nearly 9%.
Overall, Thursday marked a return of risk appetite on Wall Street as investors welcomed easing inflation and strong corporate earnings, especially from sectors tied to AI and future tech infrastructure.