Stock Market Summary – December 18, 2025

The House recently passed the SPEED Act bill aimed to make federal permits easier for AI infrastructure projects which is supported by OpenAI, Micron and Microsoft. The bill, if becoming law, will help US to outpace China in AI race.

Wall Street analysts are showing increasing interest in GE Vernova, a leading maker of natural gas turbines for AI facilities. Its shares rose more than 4.5% on Thursday after a 10.5% plunge in the prior session. Jefferies recently upgraded GE Vernova to a buy from hold and raised its price target to $815 per share from $736.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug which could lead to a broader access to it. This has led to a mixed response in cannabis stocks, with Tilray Brands’ stocks surging about 6% while Trulieve and Green Thumb Industries’ stocks falling 15% and 5% respectively.

As for Trump Media, it plans to merge with TAE Technologies in an all-stock deal valued at over $6 billion. Trump Media aims to provide the capital needed to build TAE’s first fusion power plant in the US by 2031.

Goldman Sachs predicts a volatile day in stock market on Friday due to the largest options expiration on record. More than $7.1 trillion in notional options exposure is set to expire including roughly $5 trillion tied to the S&P 500 index and $880 billion linked to single stocks.

Among the biggest movers in the stock market, Rocket Lab’s shares jumped nearly 8% after its successful launch of a mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. On the other hand, GE Vernova rose nearly 4% due to an upgrade at Jefferies while Micron Technology climbed over 11% after issuing a positive revenue forecast.

Lastly, Lululemon’s stocks grew more than 6% after Elliott Management disclosed it has purchased a stake worth more than $1 billion in the company, while FactSet Research Systems fell by over 7% due to its lower than expected free cash flow for the fiscal first quarter.