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Happy Christmas, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures are slipping this morning, as the holiday lull between Christmas and New Year weighs on the market.

Rising bond yields are adding to the pressure, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbing to 4.603%, up from the prior day and steadily increasing from 4.2% earlier this month.

Thursday’s jobless claims data offered mixed signals. Initial claims for the week ending December 21 came in at 219,000—lower than expected. However, continuing claims rose by 46,000 to 1.91 million, surpassing analysts’ forecasts and adding to concerns about the labor market.

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Goods Trade Balance (Nov)

✓ 11:00 AM ET – Crude Oil Inventories

✓ 03:30 PM ET – CFTC Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 speculative net positions

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

Market futures are down, with the S&P 500, Dow, and NASDAQ all posting declines.

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SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday market displayed mixed performance with marginal movements across sectors. Consumer discretionary and energy sectors dipped slightly, reflecting cautious sentiment. Technology and financials managed modest gains, supported by consistent investor interest. Health care, industrials, and real estate also edged upward, while communication services and utilities experienced minor pullbacks. Overall, the market remained relatively stable with a balanced mix of advances and declines.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Intrusion Inc (INTZ) exhibited a remarkable surge of 384.44%, closing at 2.18. The trading volume skyrocketed to 43,636,673 shares, far surpassing its average volume of 299.93.

📈 Evaxion Biotech A/S ADR (EVAX) recorded a significant increase of 47.75%, with its stock price closing at 1.25. The trading volume reached 2,514,800 shares, exceeding its average volume of 166.95.

📈 AEye Inc (LIDR) saw a gain of 39.06%, closing at 1.78. The trading volume was 4,753,237 shares, higher than its average volume of 338.80.

📈 Rail Vision Ltd (RVSN) experienced an impressive growth of 61.58%, with its stock price ending at 1.25. The trading volume hit 15,230,722 shares, significantly above its average volume of 1,890.81.

📈 Solid Power Inc (SLDP) achieved a strong increase of 51.28%, closing at 2.95. The trading volume was 12,783,270 shares, notably higher than its average volume of 2,171.05.

Premarket Picks

American Battery Technology Company (ABAT) saw a pre-market price of $3.51, marking an 11.78% surge. The increase comes after the company entered into securities purchase agreements with two institutional investors for the purchase of 3,773,586 shares, along with warrants for an equal number of shares, in a registered direct offering.

SEALSQ Corp (LAES) experienced a pre-market surge of 8.22%, with its price reaching $9.48. The company gained investor confidence after receiving confirmation from Nasdaq that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement.

Crown Electrokinetics Corp. (CRKN) saw a significant jump in pre-market trading, with a 27.64% increase, bringing its price to $0.16. This surge was driven by the release of a letter to shareholders from CEO and Chairman Doug Croxall, likely containing positive developments for the company.

SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company (SMX) saw a pre-market surge of 16.00%, bringing its price to $0.40. The company’s breakthrough announcement regarding the integration of its advanced technology for marking and protecting NFC and RFID chips contributed to the significant increase in its share price.

Below is a complete list of hot stocks in pre-market today:

Top Upgrades:

1. Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME)

Analyst Firm: 86 Research
Upgrade: Hold to Buy
Price Target: $14
Yesterday's Close: $11.92

86 Research analyst Chaoyi Chai raised Tencent Music's rating to Buy from Hold, setting a target price of $14.

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, which operates online music entertainment platforms offering music streaming, online karaoke, and live streaming services in China, has an average stock price target of $14.61. Analysts predict a high of $16.20 and a low of $12.00 for the company's stock price.

2. RAPT Therapeutics, Inc. (RAPT)

Analyst Firm: H.C. Wainwright
Upgrade: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $10
Thursday's Close: $1.81

H.C. Wainwright upgraded Rapt Therapeutics to Buy from Neutral, with a target price of $10.

RAPT Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oral small molecule therapies for oncology and inflammatory diseases, has an average stock price target of $6.00. The high estimate is $10.00, while the low sits at $2.00.

3. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)

Analyst Firm: CICC
Initiated: Market Perform
Price Target: $82
Tuesday's Close: $75.00

CICC began coverage of Estee Lauder, assigning it a Market Perform rating and a price target of $82.

The Estée Lauder Companies, known for its global production and sales of skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, has an average stock price target of $78.31. Analysts project a high of $107.00 and a low of $61.10 for the company’s stock.

Happy investing,

Maeve Grace
Editor In Chief
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Important: This newsletter does not provide investment advice. The stocks mentioned should not be taken as recommendations. Your investments are solely your decisions.

Disclosure: I hold no positions in any companies mentioned, either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.