A technical issue at a Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) data center disrupted futures trading on Friday morning as the U.S. stock market opened for a holiday-shortened session. The disruption occurred as millions of Americans participated in Black Friday, an event marked by shifting consumer habits and economic data pointing to changes in spending patterns.
The CME Group attributed the halt in futures trading to a “cooling issue” at one of its data centers. The exchange stated that futures and options trading would open fully at 8:30 a.m. ET. The day’s stock market trading session was scheduled to conclude early at 1 p.m. ET.
The market interruption came as major indexes approached the end of the month with declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were on track to end six-month periods of gains, while the Nasdaq Composite was tracking for its first negative month in eight.
In the retail sector, Black Friday continued to reflect a move toward online commerce. Recent data shows that online sales have surpassed in-store spending on Black Friday in recent years, with in-person foot traffic remaining largely flat. In response, some retailers have adjusted their strategies, introducing holiday sales earlier in the season or spacing out promotions.
A report from Deloitte projected that the average consumer would spend $622 between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, representing a 4% decrease from the previous year. Separately, a study by AT&T found that members of Gen Z were the most active participants in the shopping event.
In technology news, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, saw its stock rise more than 13% in November. The increase followed the company’s announcement of new tensor processing units and the launch of its Gemini 3 artificial intelligence model. According to reporting by CNBC, some industry experts view Alphabet’s lead in the AI sector as narrow.
Other developments in the tech industry highlighted ongoing competition. Chinese technology company Alibaba released its Quark AI Glasses, entering the smart glasses market alongside competitors like Meta. In the smartphone sector, a report from Counterpoint Research indicated that Apple was positioned to ship more smartphones than Samsung in 2025, which would be the first time in 14 years.
Meanwhile, a report from the market research firm NielsenIQ showed growing U.S. demand for South Korean cosmetics, often referred to as “K-beauty.” The firm’s data indicated that U.S. sales of these products were projected to increase by more than 37% in 2025 to over $2 billion. Retailers such as Ulta, Sephora, Walmart, and Costco have expanded their offerings of K-beauty products. Additionally, South Korean retailer Olive Young announced plans to open its first U.S. store in Los Angeles in 2026.
