Interest Rates 25 November 2025 - 5 December 2025

The U.S. economy is sending a mix of signals on Thursday, December 4, 2025. Financial markets are calm near record highs and forecasters are nudging growth estimates up. At the same time, new data show jobless claims edging higher, the dollar weakening on expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week, and Americans’ confidence in the economy sinking to its lowest level in more than a year. Semafor+3Reuters+3Investing.com+3

The U.S. Federal Reserve entered December 2025 with three big shifts all hitting at once: its balance‑sheet tightening has officially ended, markets are betting heavily on another rate cut next week, and regulators are rolling out a fresh assessment of the banking system just as internal divisions at the Fed deepen. Federal Reserve+2Reuters+2

As the final month of 2025 begins, global investors head into Monday’s open with equity indices near record levels, central banks pivoting toward easier policy, commodities sending mixed signals, and fresh data out of China and Europe challenging the bullish narrative.

The U.S. Dollar Index finished Tuesday’s session under pressure, sliding back below the psychologically important 100 level as a batch of delayed U.S. economic data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December.