Here are 8 key things to watch in the stock market Friday

1. Dow futures were up slightly Friday morning ahead of an early closing for the U.S. markets at 1 p.m. ET. Expect light trading volumes, which means market action in either direction should be taken with a grain of salt. All three major averages are on track for a fourth consecutive winning week.

2. The first limited pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas formally began this morning. Thirteen hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 will be released today, and several Palestinians detained by Israel will be allowed to return home.

3. The NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game airs on Amazon Prime today at 3 p.m. ET., between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. It’s yet another sign that Amazon (AMZN) and its mega-cap tech brethren have the long knives out for the traditional linear TV business.

4. Retailers are trying to win over shoppers this Black Friday and holiday season with better deals and other incentives. Some retail stocks, including Amazon, Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT), inched up before the open. We’re keeping an eye on sales to gauge the health of the U.S. consumer.

5. Wells Fargo says Sam Altman’s return to OpenAI after being ousted last week a “clear positive outcome” for Microsoft (MSFT), creating minimal disruption to the tech giant’s AI efforts. Analysts at Mizuho say the OpenAI/Microsoft partnership will remain strong. RBC adds that it puts Microsoft in a similar-to-better position.

6. KeyBanc raised its price target on Broadcom (AVGO) to $1,200 from $1,000 while reiterating its overweight rating following the finalization of the VMware acquisition. The firm says that it should prove immediately accretive to both earnings and the company’s gross margin.

7. Linde (LIN) price target raised to $447 from $440, citing the defensive profile of the company and expecting continued resilience in 2024. The industrial gas giant posted strong quarterly results in late October, and remains our favorite way to invest in the global transition to clean energy.

8. iRobot (IRBT) shares soared 30% after a Reuters report said Amazon is about to win regulatory approval in the European Union to buy the robot vacuum maker.

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