Stock Futures Climb Ahead of Thanksgiving Break

Sights are set on another day in the black, as stock futures climb in the wake of the Dow Jones Industrial Average's (DJI) third-straight, triple-digit pop. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are shifting higher as well, with a slew of tech earnings to unpack, including from Dell Technologies (DELL).

Rumors around who will become the next Fed Chair are swirling as well, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noting there is a "very good chance" the news will be revealed before Christmas. Markets will be closed to observe the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, and will close at 1 p.m. E.T. on Black Friday.

• How stocks perform after Black Friday, per Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White.
• Can this chip stock change its post-earnings pattern?
• Plus, three stocks struggling after earnings this morning.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange saw more than 2.1 million call contracts and more than 1.6 million put contracts were exchanged on Tuesday. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.76, while the 21-day moving average remained at 0.58.
2. HP Inc (NYSE:HPQ) is 2.6% lower before the open, after the tech giant said its growing price for memory chips could impact results for the new fiscal year. This came on the heels of a fiscal fourth-quarter win and reports that the tech giant will lay off 4,000 to 6,000 people. HP stock has struggled in 2025, down 25.5% since January.
3. Shares of China-based EV maker Li Auto Inc (NASDAQ:LI) are 3.4% lower before the bell, after the company reported a surprise third-quarter loss. LI has had a mare since tapping a 2025 peak in late February, last week hitting a more than one-year low after a seven-day losing streak.
4. Cloud giant Nutanix Inc (NASDAQ:NTNX) is plummeting 11.8% in electronic trading, after the company slashed its full-year sales guidance, brushing off fiscal first-quarter earnings that were in line with expectations. Just off its own nine-day losing streak, NTNX has slipped below its year-to-date breakeven mark.
5. What's in store for today and Black Friday.

European Stocks Pop With U.K. Finance in Focus

Asian markets took a cue from their U.S. counterparts, finishing mostly higher on Wednesday. The South Korean Kospi led gains with a  2.7% pop, while Japan’s Nikkei added 1.9% with help from utility, real estate, and financial stocks. Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.1%, while China’s Shanghai Composite dipped 0.2%.

In Europe, all eyes are on the U.K. this morning after U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves unveiled the Autumn budget, which included tax hikes and new spending policies. The region’s bank stocks are seeing volatility amid the updates, with London’s FTSE 100 last seen up 0.2%. Meanwhile, the French CAC 40 is up 0.5%, while the German DAX sits 0.4% higher.