US markets closed higher on Thursday, with gains in Dow (+461), S&P 500 (+32), and Nasdaq (+6). Economic data showed positive home sales but weak manufacturing and jobless claims. Most S&P sectors rose except for discretionary and communication services. Asian markets were mixed, with Japan and Australia up and China and Hong Kong down. European markets were down, while oil and gold prices increased. US futures declined and the dollar strengthened.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp are together recalling over 208,000 electrified vehicles in the U.S. citing concerns about a loss of drive power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.

PepsiCo to acquire remaining 50% stake in Sabra and Obela for undisclosed amount, expanding its portfolio in the growing market for healthy dips and spreads.

Looking ahead, Gap has adjusted its full-year projections, now expecting net sales to rise between 1.5% and 2%.

As the U.S. dollar scaled a fresh 52-week high on Friday morning at 108.071 level, former Goldman Sachs FX strategist and senior fellow at Brookings Institution, Robin Brooks said in an X (formerly Twitter) post that, "Markets initially got this wrong, driving stocks up sharply right after Nov. 5."

Arcese remarked on the unusual combination of factors like GDP growth, earnings growth, and falling inflation and interest rates, which he described as rare.

U.S. stocks could open on a negative note on Friday after futures showed tentativeness on Friday.

The Starship's many engines are isolated from each other, preventing the risk of one engine failure causing failure of all as in the case of the Soviet Union's N1 rocket, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday.

The directive from Governor Abbott comes amid escalating U.S.-China tensions.

Shares of Reddit Inc (NYSE: RDDT) nosedived by 6.2% to $148.11 per share in premarket, despite closing 16% higher at $158.02 apiece on Thursday. Technical analysis points towards a bullish trend, with the stock trading at overbought levels.

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co's incoming CEO Jose Munoz is optimistic about the future of electric vehicles despite fears of EV tariffs and incentives getting dropped or reduced under the upcoming Trump presidency.

Meta is intensifying efforts to combat $64 billion "pig butchering" scams by removing over 2 million scam-related accounts, flagging potential fraud, and collaborating with law enforcement, despite criticism of its past handling of such issues.

Ripple (XRP) extends its gains by around 10% on Friday, reaching a new year-to-date high of $1.43 and hitting levels not seen since mid-May 2021.