- On optimism that the Omicron coronavirus variant will not disrupt the economic recovery, stocks closed near session highs.
- The S&P 500 rose for a second day, the dollar declined, and bonds were unchanged. Pfizer rose after the FDA approved the covid-19 tablet for emergency use in the US. Amazon.com recovered after a decline of more than 1% after a major newswire reported that the US Federal Trade Commission pushing forward with antitrust scrutiny of the company's cloud computing business.
- In November, sales of previously owned homes in the United States surged for the third month in a row, while consumer confidence increased more than predicted in December as Americans' outlook for employment and the economy improved. According to early results from three trials, the omicron strain may be less likely to send people to the hospital than the delta strain.
