CME Group sign at NYMEX in New York. Adam Jeffery | CNBC
This is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Down and out
Stock futures trading was halted this morning after a data center "cooling issue" took down several Chicago Mercantile Exchange services. Individual stocks were still trading before the bell, while the CME said futures indexes and options trading would open fully at 8:30 a.m. Follow live markets updates here. The stock market has rebounded during the holiday-shortened trading week. But the three major indexes are still on pace to end November's trading month — which ends with today's closing bell — in the red. The Dow and S&P 500 are poised to snap six-month winning streaks, while the Nasdaq Composite is on track to see its first negative month in eight. Today's trading session ends early at 1 p.m. ET.
2. Shopping and dropping
A Black Friday sale sign is displayed in a shop window at an outlet mall in Carlsbad, California, U.S., Nov. 25, 2025. Mike Blake | Reuters
Black Friday was once considered the biggest in-person shopping day of the year, drawing huge crowds to stores in search of bargains. But while millions are still expected to partake in the occasion, it's not what it used to be. Here's what to know: In the past six years, online sales have outpaced brick-and-mortar spending on Black Friday. Data shows in-person foot traffic has been mostly flat over the last few years, as well.
No matter where they make their purchases, shoppers are also skeptical that they're getting the best deals.
As CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge reports, the shift has meant a change in strategy for many of the retail industry's biggest names. Some have started offering their holiday sales earlier in the season, while others are spacing out their promotions.
Deloitte reported that the average consumer will shell out $622 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1, a decrease of 4% from last year.
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