"Traders Brace for Year-End Rally as US Stock Futures Slide Despite Positive Earnings News"

Stocks rose as corporations reported better-than-expected earnings, with Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Lockheed Martin exceeding expectations. An unexpected surge in retail sales caused turbulence in the Treasury market, as investors worried about higher interest rates. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin issued dovish remarks, suggesting the current policy stance is already restrictive. Nvidia's stock declined over 3% due to the US government tightening restrictions on chip exports to China. The S&P 500 outperformed, small caps rose sharply, and sector ETFs showed mixed performance. Dollar Tree and Viasat saw stock upgrades, while Lucid Group reported lower-than-expected deliveries. Treasury yields and crude oil fell, while the dollar held steady. European equity indices closed sideways, and gold and silver prices rose.