Dow Jones Today (Dec. 19, 2025, 1:13 p.m. ET): DJIA Rises on AI Rebound as Nike Slides; Options Expiry and Fed-Cut Bets Shape the Close
U.S. stocks pushed higher into early afternoon trading on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) climbing as investors returned to the AI-led rally that powered much of 2025—and as markets braced for the quarter’s biggest wave of expiring derivatives. Around early afternoon, the Dow was trading in the 48,200–48,300 range, up roughly 0.6% on the day, with the session’s high-water mark near 48,290 and the low near 47,975. Investing.com+1 The market tone: relief—mixed with caution. Softer inflation data released Thursday has strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve may have room to cut rates further in 2026, but traders