New York, USA – December 1, 2025
On December 1, 2025, global stock markets opened cautiously with the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 18 points while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures remained near flat. This cautious tone reflects investor risk aversion ahead of a busy week of US economic releases. The preceding week saw strong gains where the S&P 500 surged 3.7%, Nasdaq climbed 4.9%, and Dow advanced 3.2%, driven by expectations of a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut at the mid-December meeting with an 85% probability. Cryptocurrencies declined notably with Bitcoin down 2.5% amid regulatory concerns in the US and Europe.
In India, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty touched fresh highs, rising 0.8% and 1.1% respectively, supported by strong performances in banking and IT sectors. State Bank of India shares rose 25% year-to-date, though analysts caution about volatility ahead of US non-farm payroll data due later in the week. Key figures influencing markets include Fed Chair Jerome Powell with dovish signals, Elon Musk’s comments on H-1B visas supporting Indian tech talent critical to firms like Tesla, and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s preparations for monetary policy committee discussions amid inflation targeting considerations and RBI’s probable rate adjustments in December.
Seasonally, December has historically been the S&P 500’s third-best month since 1950 with average gains around 1.3%, positioning the market for potential bullishness despite some headwinds. Additional concerns include international legal challenges for Indian edtech firm Byju’s founder and Mahindra’s ambitious plan for 1,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations on highways, underscoring global green mobility efforts and India’s projected $5 trillion EV investment by 2030. This market snapshot underscores the global financial interconnections where US policy decisions significantly impact emerging markets like India
