Pre-Market Brief: US Equities - December 16, 2025

US equity pre-market trading on December 16, 2025, reflects heightened volatility and defensive positioning ahead of the delayed October/November Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report scheduled for 8:30 AM EST. Major indices are under pressure with technology stocks leading declines, while healthcare demonstrates relative strength. Catastrophic declines in Luminar Technologies (LAZR -60.04%) and iRobot (IRBT -72.91%) highlight extreme risk conditions in distressed securities. The delayed NFP report, postponed due to government shutdown, represents the dominant market catalyst with traders currently pricing in 2 rate cuts for 2026.

• S&P 500 Futures:
  Down 0.16%
• NASDAQ 100 Futures:
  Down 0.59%
• Dow Jones Futures:
  Down 0.09%
• Russell 2000 Futures:
  Down 1.24%

1. Healthcare:
   +0.73% (Best performing)
2. Real Estate:
   +0.52%
3. Consumer Cyclical:
   +0.34%
4. Utilities:
   +0.21%
5. Basic Materials:
   -0.26%
6. Communication Services:
   -0.78%
7. Industrials:
   -0.82%
8. Energy:
   -0.84%
9. Financial Services:
   -1.18%
10. Technology:
    -1.40%
11. Consumer Defensive:
    -1.64% (Worst performing)

Stock	Symbol	Pre-Market Price	Change	% Change	Volume vs Avg
Pfizer	PFE	$26.43	+$0.58	+2.26%	70% of avg
Johnson & Johnson	JNJ	$214.18	+$2.60	+1.23%	62% of avg
JPMorgan Chase	JPM	$320.02	+$1.50	+0.47%	64% of avg

Stock	Symbol	Pre-Market Price	Change	% Change	Volume vs Avg
iRobot	IRBT	$1.17	-$3.15	-72.91%	682% of avg
Luminar Technologies	LAZR	$0.36	-$0.54	-60.04%	721% of avg
ServiceNow	NOW	$764.67	-$100.39	-11.60%	351% of avg
Apple	AAPL	$274.19	-$4.08	-1.47%	71% of avg
Amazon	AMZN	$222.53	-$3.66	-1.62%	70% of avg

• Release Time:
  8:30 AM EST, December 16, 2025
• Nature:
  Combined October/November data due to government shutdown
• Consensus Estimates:
  50,000 job gains for November, 4.4% unemployment rate
• Market Impact:
  High volatility expected across all sectors

• Advance Monthly Retail Sales:
  Scheduled for December 16
• Federal Reserve:
  No policy announcements scheduled
• Commodity Prices:
  Gold near $4,320/oz, Silver near record $64/oz (+10% weekly), Crude oil at $56.91/bbl

• Luminar Technologies (LAZR):
  Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, unit sale for $110 million, delisting risk
• Ford (F):
  $19.5B EV write-down announcement, strategic pivot to hybrids
• Amazon (AMZN):
  Guggenheim initiated Buy coverage focusing on AI cloud economics
• Pfizer (PFE):
  8:00 AM ET investor/analyst call, full-year 2026 guidance issued
• Bonk Inc.:
  Acquired 51% revenue interest in BONK.fun following $1.36M revenue surge

Technical chart showing minor correction with neutral RSI (46.5) and trading below 20-day MA. The stock indicates short-term weakness within a longer-term uptrend, with immediate support at $272.84 and resistance at $288.62. Low volatility (16.3%) suggests stable price action despite the pre-market decline.

Technical chart demonstrating relative strength with RSI approaching overbought levels (65.9) and trading above key moving averages. The stock shows accumulation characteristics with normal volume patterns and clear support at $25.04. Healthcare sector leadership position supported by bullish technical momentum.

Chart displaying catastrophic breakdown pattern with 72.91% pre-market decline. Despite the massive drop, RSI shows neutral readings (48.0) suggesting potential stabilization, though extreme volatility (443.9% annualized) indicates continued high risk. Critical support at $1.07 with major overhead resistance at $5.68.

Distribution pattern chart showing the stock breaking below key technical levels with bearish MACD crossover and elevated volume (3.6x average). The stock approaches critical support at $760.53 with high volatility (46.4%) suggesting further downside potential toward the $688.68 target level.

Extreme volatility chart showing the stock’s breakdown following Chapter 11 bankruptcy announcement. The chart shows bearish MACD signal and panic selling volume (7.3x average). Despite oversold conditions (RSI 32.0), extreme volatility (244.2%) warrants caution even with potential short-term bounce scenarios toward $0.40 resistance.

• Luminar Technologies (LAZR):
  Extreme bearish breakdown with 244.2% volatility
• ServiceNow (NOW):
  Distribution phase with 46.4% volatility, bearish MACD crossover

• Apple (AAPL):
  Minor correction, low 16.3% volatility
• Amazon (AMZN):
  Minor weakness, medium 26.6% volatility
• Pfizer (PFE):
  Relative strength, bullish trend above MA20

• Extreme Risk:
  LAZR (244.2% volatility), IRBT (443.9% volatility)
• High Risk:
  NOW (46.4%), AMC (55.2%)
• Medium Risk:
  AMZN (26.6%), PFE (23.4%)
• Low Risk:
  AAPL (16.3%)

• iRobot (IRBT):
  99.97M shares (6.82x average volume)
• Luminar Technologies (LAZR):
  57.80M shares (7.21x average volume)
• ServiceNow (NOW):
  4.98M shares (3.51x average volume)

High volume concentration on declining stocks indicates capitulation selling, while traditional tech giants show below-average participation, suggesting cautious positioning by institutional investors.

• S&P 500:
  6,800
• NASDAQ:
  23,000
• Apple (AAPL):
  $272.84
• Amazon (AMZN):
  $221.50
• Pfizer (PFE):
  $25.04

• S&P 500:
  6,900
• NASDAQ:
  23,600
• Apple (AAPL):
  $288.62
• Amazon (AMZN):
  $238.97
• ServiceNow (NOW):
  $875.00

1. Short Opportunities:
   Focus on LAZR and NOW with tight stop-losses due to extreme volatility
2. Defensive Positioning:
   Accumulate healthcare names like PFE on weakness
3. Risk Management:
   Reduce position sizes ahead of NFP release, use wider stops on high-volatility names

• High Risk (Distressed):
  Maximum 10% allocation (LAZR, IRBT)
• Medium Risk:
  60% allocation (NOW, AMZN, PFE)
• Low Risk:
  30% allocation (AAPL)

• Entry:
  Market open at $0.35
• Stop Loss:
  $0.38 (+8.6%)
• Take Profit:
  $0.32 (-8.6%)
• Position Size:
  25% of normal allocation due to extreme volatility
• Rationale:
  Bankruptcy proceedings, panic selling volume, bearish technical breakdown

• Entry:
  On any rally toward $800+
• Stop Loss:
  $826.42 (+8.0%)
• Take Profit:
  $688.68 (-10.0%)
• Position Size:
  50% of normal allocation
• Rationale:
  Distribution phase, bearish MACD crossover, institutional selling pressure

• Entry:
  On dips toward $25.04 support
• Stop Loss:
  $23.80 (-5.0%)
• Take Profit:
  $26.65 (+5.9%)
• Position Size:
  Full allocation
• Rationale:
  Defensive sector leadership, bullish technical setup, positive guidance

• Entry:
  On weakness below $270
• Stop Loss:
  $256.50 (-5.0%)
• Take Profit:
  $288.62 (+5.3%)
• Position Size:
  Full allocation
• Rationale:
  Blue chip stability, healthy consolidation, long-term trend intact

• Stocks:
  LAZR (244.2%), IRBT (443.9%)
• Stop Range:
  8-10%
• Position Sizing:
  Maximum 5% per position
• Rationale:
  Extreme price swings require wider stops and smaller positions

• Stocks:
  NOW (46.4%), AMC (55.2%)
• Stop Range:
  8%
• Position Sizing:
  Maximum 10% per position
• Rationale:
  Elevated volatility but manageable with disciplined stops

• Stocks:
  AAPL (16.3%), AMZN (26.6%), PFE (23.4%)
• Stop Range:
  5%
• Position Sizing:
  Standard allocation
• Rationale:
  Normal volatility allows for standard risk management

• NFP Report Uncertainty:
  Delayed combined October/November data could surprise markets
• Extreme Volatility:
  Certain stocks showing volatility above 200%
• Sector Rotation:
  Ongoing defensive rotation suggests continued tech weakness
• Liquidity Concerns:
  High volume on distressed securities indicates potential liquidity issues

• Defensive Bias:
  Healthcare outperformance suggests risk aversion
• Technology Weakness:
  Broad-based tech selling indicates growth concerns
• Volume Patterns:
  Panic selling in distressed names, cautious institutional participation

1. Systemic Risk:
   NFP report delay creates unprecedented uncertainty
2. Volatility Risk:
   VIX-related behavior suggests elevated option premiums
3. Liquidity Risk:
   Pre-market thin markets exacerbate price movements
4. Sector Rotation Risk:
   Defensive rotation may accelerate on weak data

• IRBT:
  443.9% volatility, 72.91% decline, potential delisting
• LAZR:
  244.2% volatility, Chapter 11 bankruptcy, recovery unlikely

• NOW:
  46.4% volatility, institutional distribution, unexplained decline
• AMC:
  55.2% volatility, speculative characteristics, unsustainable rally

• AMZN:
  26.6% volatility, growth stock weakness, MACD bearish cross
• PFE:
  23.4% volatility, approaching overbought, sector dependence

• AAPL:
  16.3% volatility, blue chip stability, healthy consolidation

• Expected Market Impact: Risk-on rally, technology recovery
• Sector Implications: Tech and cyclical outperformance, defensive underperformance
• Trading Strategy: Reduce shorts, add growth exposure

• Expected Market Impact: Risk-off selling, flight to safety
• Sector Implications: Healthcare and utilities outperformance, tech weakness continues
• Trading Strategy: Increase defensive positioning, maintain shorts

• Expected Market Impact: Mixed trading, sector-specific moves
• Sector Implications: Rotation continues, stock-picker’s market
• Trading Strategy: Focus on individual stock stories, maintain balanced approach

• Position sizing: Reduce overall exposure by 25%
• Stop management: Widen stops on high-volatility names
• Sector focus: Increase defensive allocation

• Position sizing: Normal allocation resumes
• Stop management: Standard risk management applies
• Sector focus: Balanced approach with growth tilt

• Extreme Risk (volatility >200%):
  Maximum 5% of portfolio
• High Risk (volatility 40-60%):
  Maximum 10% of portfolio
• Medium Risk (volatility 20-40%):
  Maximum 15% of portfolio
• Low Risk (volatility <20%):
  Standard allocation

• Defensive Correlation:
  Healthcare and utilities showing positive correlation (0.65)
• Tech Correlation:
  Technology names experiencing high correlation (0.82) - avoid concentration
• Market Beta:
  Overall portfolio beta should remain between 0.8-1.2

• Pre-Market Trading:
  Limit to 20% of daily volume
• Market Hours:
  Standard liquidity parameters apply
• After-Hours:
  Avoid new positions in extended hours

The pre-market environment on December 16, 2025, reflects heightened uncertainty with defensive positioning prevailing ahead of the critical NFP report. Extreme volatility in distressed securities creates both significant risks and opportunities for well-capitalized traders. Healthcare’s relative strength and technology’s weakness suggest ongoing sector rotation that may persist through the trading day.

Traders should exercise extreme caution with high-volatility names, maintain tight risk management, and consider the delayed NFP report as the primary driver of intraday volatility. The market’s reaction to the employment data will likely set the tone for trading throughout the remainder of the week.

• 8:30 AM EST:
  NFP report release expected to drive significant volatility across all sectors
• 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM:
  Initial market reaction and volatility compression period
• 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM:
  Sector-specific trading based on NFP interpretation
• 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM:
  Position squaring and ahead of tomorrow’s trading

• S&P 500:
  Break below 6,800 support would signal further downside
• NASDAQ:
  23,000 support level critical for tech sector sentiment
• VIX:
  Spike above 25 would indicate increased market fear

• Strong NFP:
  Likely to trigger risk-on rotation into technology and consumer discretionary
• Weak NFP:
  Expected to reinforce defensive positioning in healthcare and utilities
• In-Line NFP:
  Sector-specific stories will dominate trading patterns

1. Risk Management First:
   Protect capital during high-volatility NFP release
2. Liquidity Awareness:
   Monitor order book depth and market impact
3. Sector Flexibility:
   Be prepared to rotate quickly based on data interpretation
4. Technical Validation:
   Confirm fundamental analysis with technical signals

The delayed NFP report represents an unprecedented market event that could trigger significant trend reversals or acceleration of existing patterns. Maintaining disciplined risk management while remaining flexible to changing market conditions will be crucial for navigating today’s trading session successfully.

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