**Markets Wrap Up a Volatile Week with Mixed Signals**

As the week comes to a close, U.S. stock futures are showing a mixed picture after several days of ups and downs. Investors had a lot to digest, including the latest interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve, surprising earnings results, and fresh signals from major tech companies.

The Fed followed through on another expected interest rate cut and hinted at a potential additional cut in 2026. This reassured some investors but also raised questions about the long-term health of the economy.

Tech giant Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL), which has seen strong gains this year, took a hit after missing its earnings targets. The company revealed it’s making big investments in AI data centers, which hasn’t yet translated into profits—leaving investors concerned about the payoff timeline.

On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high, closing up 1.34% at 48,704. The S&P 500 also edged higher by 0.12%, ending the day at 6,901. However, the Nasdaq fell by 0.26% to 23,593, weighed down in part by Oracle’s poor performance.

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**Treasury Yields Fall as Fed Eases Tone**

U.S. Treasury yields moved lower across the board on Thursday, as investors responded to softer language from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. His comments suggested a less aggressive approach to future rate hikes, especially with another cut possibly coming in 2026.

Additionally, the Fed announced it’s restarting short-term Treasury purchases to help keep financial markets running smoothly—though they emphasized it’s not a shift in overall policy direction.

At the end of trading Thursday:
– 30-year bond yield: 4.8%
– 10-year note yield: 4.16%

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**Energy Prices Drop Again on Oversupply Concerns**

Oil and gas prices continued to slide on Thursday due to ongoing oversupply issues and increased production in Iraq. Despite a cold weather forecast, natural gas also saw steep losses as expectations for demand remained low.

Here’s how major energy prices ended the day:
– Brent Crude: $61.54 (-1.08%)
– West Texas Intermediate (WTI): $57.88 (-1.00%)
– Natural Gas: $4.23 (-7.9%)

Mild weather forecasts and weak short-term demand were key reasons for the drop in natural gas prices—even with a relatively favorable inventory report.

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**Gold Surges as Dollar Weakens and Fed Cuts Rates**

Gold prices soared on Thursday, driven by a weaker U.S. dollar and excitement around potential rate cuts from the Fed. Analysts at Goldman Sachs added fuel to the fire by predicting gold could hit $4,900 by 2026.

Precious metals closed higher:
– Gold: $4,232
– Silver: $61.90

Silver saw especially strong gains due to tight global supply and rising demand from tech industries, including artificial intelligence applications.

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**Crypto Markets Rebound After Early Drop**

The cryptocurrency market faced early declines on Thursday but managed to bounce back later in the day. Bitcoin and Ethereum initially dropped due to lingering uncertainty around AI sector profits and the Fed’s cautious economic outlook.

Despite that, buyers stepped in later in the session:
– Bitcoin: $92,370 (as of 8 AM EST)
– Ethereum: $3,246

Short-term traders likely took advantage of recent volatility to lock in gains following last week’s big sell-off.

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**Top Analyst Ratings for Friday, December 12, 2025**

Every day, analysts issue new recommendations on stocks—some are upgrades, others are downgrades or fresh coverage. Here’s a look at Friday’s most notable analyst actions:

**Upgrades:**
– *Allegiant Travel (NASDAQ: ALGT)*: Deutsche Bank upgraded to Buy with a $105 target.
– *Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY)*: Guggenheim raised to Buy with a $62 target.
– *Citigroup (NYSE: C)*: JPMorgan upgraded to Overweight; target raised to $124.
– *Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ: GLPI)*: Upgraded by JPMorgan to Overweight; target now $53.
– *Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU)*: Jefferies moved it up to Hold with a new $170 target.
– *Soundhound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN)*: Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded to Overweight; price target raised to $15.

**Downgrades:**
– *BOK Financial (NASDAQ: BOKF)*: Cut to Market Perform by Hovde Group; target set at $129.
– *Forge Global (NYSE: FRGE)*: Downgraded to Market Perform by Citizens JMP amid acquisition news; target remains at $45.
– *PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL)*: Baird downgraded to Neutral; price target lowered to $66.
– *Roblox (NYSE: RBLX)*: JPMorgan lowered rating to Neutral; new target is $100.
– *Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO)*: Mizuho downgraded to Neutral with a slightly lowered target of $192.

Keep in mind that analyst ratings are just one tool for investors and should not be used as sole decision-makers for buying or selling stocks.