SPY edges ahead as labor data, Fed criteria and AI-chip updates span Christmas Eve

QQQ opened 0.04% higher and finished up 0.15%. SPY opened essentially flat and ended 0.23% higher, leading by 0.09 percentage points. Initial jobless claims fell to 214,000 versus a 224,000 forecast and prior reading, while continuing claims rose to 1.923 million from 1.885 million. Samsung and SK Hynix reportedly raised HBM quotes by 20%, and a U.S. Commerce Department official said Nvidia had halted tests of Intel's 18A process. Treasury Secretary Bessent outlined criteria for the next Fed chair. After the close, Nvidia denied acquiring Groq and described a non-exclusive inference-technology licensing agreement.