JUST THE FACTS

Thanksgiving week proved to be just the ticket for the Dow and S&P. Both indices rode the week's gains to crawl out of the red for a monthly win, while the Nasdaq just missed pulling off a November rally.

November is typically pretty calm for the markets, but that clearly wasn't the case this time. From AI worry to Fed cut hope, the swings were wild. This report takes a look back and sets up what's still ahead.

Delays in economic reporting due to the shutdown will force the Fed to rely more on its own data before another cut. That likely includes the so-called beige book, and its findings certainly help the cause.

Jerome Powell's run as Fed chair is now down to just six months. His successor is still unknown, but we now have a name as the mostly likely to get the nod: Kevin Hassett. Who is he? The full details here. 

Tuesday's economic reports landed with little fanfare or impact. September's PPI was mostly as expected with energy and goods prices rising the most. Retail sales overall were a bit soft, but not alarming.

The incoming week begins with the final flip of the calendar in 2025. The markets will be hoping November's late rebound continues with attention on the Fed and sentiment among the week's headlines.