Dow, Nasdaq Up Triple Digits as Stocks Rally Into Weekend

Stocks are poised to finish the last full week of the year on a strong note. Just as Oracle (ORCL) weighed earlier in the week, the software giant is now bringing tech stocks back, after TikTok agreed to sell its U.S. operations to a new joint venture.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is up 278 points, brushing off a brutal post-earnings bear gap from Nike (NKE). The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) is poised to rattle off back-to-back gains of 1% or more for the first time since late October. All three major indexes could potentially nab weekly wins should momentum carry over into the afternoon, though quadruple witching volatility looms. 

Intuitive Machines Inc (NASDAQ:LUNR) is seeing a surge in options activity today. At last check, 42,000 calls have changed hands -- six times the average intraday amount and almost five times the number of puts traded. The January 2026 12.50-strike call is the most popular, while the March 2026 15 call is also drawing interest. LUNR is up 32.9% to trade at $13.83 after Keybanc initiated coverage on the robotics stock at "overweight" and set a $20 price target. Despite today's rally, the shares remain down 21% in 2025.

Carnival Corp (NYSE:CCL) is one of the top performers on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, last seen up 9.8% to trade at $31.13. The cruise company reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded expectations. Carnival's 2026 guidance also topped estimates. The stock jumped to two-month highs of $31.22 out of the gate. Year to date, CCL is 23% higher, bouncing off its 320-day moving average.

Crocs Inc (NASDAQ:CROX) stock is sitting out the broad market rally today, as sector peer NKE deflates fellow retailers. CROX is down 1.2% to trade at $88.37, and off 19.2% in 2025. A nearly 6% quarterly rally was stopped short at the shares' 200-day moving average.