The Nasdaq 100 demonstrated remarkable resilience during the abbreviated Black Friday session, climbing nearly 0.8% to close at 25,434 points. This advance occurred despite a major technical failure that paralyzed global trading systems for hours earlier in the day. A stunning rally in Intel shares provided the market’s most significant positive surprise in months, while Nvidia continued to face downward pressure.
Trading Chaos Fails to Derail Tech Index
Friday’s trading began with unprecedented disruption as CME Group suspended global futures trading for more than ten hours. The halt resulted from a cooling system failure at a CyrusOne data center, completely blocking trading in US stock futures, gold, and oil until approximately 8:30 AM EST. With price discovery mechanisms frozen, institutional investors faced challenging conditions.
When cash markets eventually opened, the Nasdaq 100 proved surprisingly robust. After briefly dipping to 25,280 points, the index reversed course and climbed steadily higher until early closure at 1:00 PM EST. Trading volume remained predictably thin as market participants exercised caution throughout the shortened session.
Intel Stages Remarkable Recovery
Intel emerged as the session’s standout performer, skyrocketing 10.2% to lead both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 higher. The surge followed analyst reports suggesting the struggling chipmaker could potentially manufacture Apple’s more affordable M-series processors beginning in 2027. This development energized institutional buyers, offering the first concrete hope for Intel’s recovery following years of stagnation.
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Meanwhile, Nvidia declined 1.8% to approximately $177 per share. The artificial intelligence leader now faces increasing valuation concerns following its record-breaking rally. Profit-taking activity weighed on the semiconductor sector broadly, though Intel managed to escape this negative pressure.
Mixed Performance Signals
For the week, the Nasdaq 100 delivered its strongest performance since June with a 4.9% gain. However, the monthly perspective reveals a more subdued picture, with November concluding with a decline of approximately 1.5%. The recent rally proved insufficient to fully recover losses sustained during the first half of the month, breaking a seven-month winning streak that had persisted until now.
From a technical standpoint, the index approaches a critical juncture. With Friday’s closing level of 25,434 points, the Nasdaq 100 nears resistance around 25,450. A successful breach of this barrier would potentially open the path toward the 52-week high of 26,182 points. Technical indicators show improving conditions, with RSI readings stabilizing at moderate 55-60 levels after reaching overbought territory earlier in November, suggesting potential for additional upward movement.
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