Stock Market Closing Report - Friday, December 19, 2025
U.S. stocks rallied on Friday to cap a volatile week,...
U.S. stocks rallied on Friday to cap a volatile week, with technology stocks rebounding strongly as the AI trade showed renewed signs of life following positive developments for Oracle and Nvidia.
S&P 500: rose 0.88% to end the day at 6,834.50
Nasdaq Composite: gained 1.31% to 23,307.62
Dow Jones Industrial Average: climbed 183.04 points, or 0.38%, to reach 48,134.89
Weekly Performance: With the late-week rebound, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq booked weekly wins, rising 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, in the last full week of trading in 2025 as Wall Street tries for a "Santa Claus rally" to end the year. The Dow fell 0.6% on the week.
Net withdrawals from storage totaled 167 Bcf for the week ending December...
Net withdrawals from storage totaled 167 Bcf for the week ending December 12, compared with the five-year (2020–24) average net withdrawals of 96 Bcf and last year's net withdrawals of 134 Bcf during the same week. Working natural gas stocks totaled 3,579 Bcf, which is 32 Bcf (1%) above the five-year average and 61 Bcf (2%) below last year at this time. Current inventories in the East and Midwest natural gas storage regions are about 5% under the five-year average.
Henry Hub spot price: The Henry Hub spot price fell about 20% during the past week, or down 94 cents from $4.61 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $3.67/MMBtu this Wednesday.
Henry Hub futures price: The price of the January 2026 NYMEX contract decreased 57 cents, from $4.595/MMBtu last Wednesday to $4.024/MMBtu this Wednesday. The price of the 12-month strip averaging January 2026 through December 2026 futures contracts declined 31 cents to $3.764/MMBtu. Natural gas futures prices have been volatile in December.
This Friday morning, at 9:00 AM ET, natural gas futures prices were at $3.915/MMBtu.
Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan's proposed Western Gateway pipeline, which...
Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan's proposed Western Gateway pipeline, which would move gasoline and other refined fuels from the Midwest to California, is attracting strong interest from potential shippers as its open season approaches a Friday deadline. Phillips 66 CEO Mark Lashier said the project has also won backing from federal officials and local stakeholders, including tribes along the route. The line would run from Illinois to California, largely following existing Kinder Morgan pipelines, with a new segment planned in New Mexico.
Shell proceeds with project to enhance Kaikias recovery
Shell has reached a positive financial investment decision on a waterflood...
Shell has reached a positive financial investment decision on a waterflood project meant to boost recovery at its Kaikias field in the US Gulf of America and extend the operational life of the Ursa platform. The company plans to start water injection in 2028 and expects the project to add roughly 60 million barrels of oil equivalent to recoverable resource volumes.
Colo. town pivots to geothermal as coal plant closes
Hayden, Colo., is transitioning from coal to geothermal energy to mitigate...
Hayden, Colo., is transitioning from coal to geothermal energy to mitigate the economic impact of the impending closure of the Hayden Station coal plant by 2028. The town is developing a 58-acre business park powered by a geothermal heating and cooling system from Bedrock Energy, aiming to attract new employers and create jobs. The geothermal project is expected to provide 2 MW of thermal energy, reducing energy costs by about 40%.
