QQQ ends 0.24% lower alongside labor releases and mixed Fed signals

QQQ opened 0.03% below its prior close and finished down 0.24%. SPY opened 0.01% above its prior close and ended down 0.08%, leaving SPY ahead by 0.16 percentage points. December ADP employment rose by 122,000, below expectations. QQQ rose 0.22% and SPY gained 0.16% over the next 15 minutes, with one nearby headline. Initial claims were 201,000 versus 214,000 expected and 211,000 prior. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said easing inflation could support further rate cuts, while the FOMC minutes signaled a possible pause as policymakers weighed tariff-related inflation risks. Chip headlines included Nvidia and MediaTek's desktop-processor effort and tighter U.S. AI-chip export limits.