Crypto volatility, metals surge, index rules loom, healthcare screens shift

US stock futures edged higher into a holiday-shortened week, with investors still looking for a late-year Santa Claus rally and a quieter, lower-volume tape. Sentiment is also reacting to Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammock signaling no urgency to cut rates for several months, keeping the inflation debate in focus.

Crypto’s “everything went right, price still fell” narrative is front and center: Bitcoin is fighting key technical levels while investors watch a potential index-policy inflection around Strategy (MSTR) and other digital-asset-treasury companies. Meanwhile, gold and silver are making new highs, reframing the “digital gold” pitch as central-bank demand and reserve diversification keep physical metals bid.

Stock-specific movers and 2026 frameworks leaned into deal and growth themes: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) tracked the Paramount bid dynamics, Nvidia (NVDA) rose on China shipment chatter, and Clearwater Analytics (CWAN) jumped on a take-private. Investors also heard a “layup bets” approach favoring healthcare enablers over insurers.

Takeaways:

• Futures pointed higher in thin, holiday trading.

• Rate-cut timing remains constrained by inflation focus.

• Bitcoin faces technical pressure amid index-rule uncertainty.

• Metals strength is challenging the “digital gold” narrative.

• 2026 screens emphasized healthcare infrastructure and select M&A.

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