Equity markets advanced on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as investors bet on a Santa Claus rally in December. The sentiment was bolstered by the FOMC minutes which supported the idea that interest rate hikes would slow. The CME Fed Watch tool is pricing in a total of 6 25 basis point increases or a 50 bps rate hikes at the next three meetings. This outlook could change if the next round of inflation is still hot but the market is looking beyond that at this time.

The next big hurdle for the market will come next week in the form of economic data. It is the first week of the new month which means a round of key labor data as well as some other major reports. Topping the list is the PCE price index on Friday which will be a market mover. If the data is hot the market will likely fall back to the recent lows but if it confirms a slowdown in the pace of inflation the market rally could gain momentum.