Intel rises on Apple deal rumors; Eli Lilly stock slides

A major US chipmaker got a boost from speculation that it could win a new Big Tech client, while big-ticket drug stocks reversed some of their recent gains.

Major US stock indexes rose in the shortened trading session on Friday to record their best week since June, although the Nasdaq index posted its first losing month since March. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Dow added 0.6%, and the Nasdaq closed 0.7% higher on Friday. See here for more Investopedia In today’s market movements.

Intel (INTC) shares rose 10.2% to best the S&P 500 in the shortened trading session. The jump came after an analyst suggested that Intel could become a foundry supplier for Apple (AAPL) processors, adding fuel to rumors earlier in the year about a potential deal with the iPhone maker.

Shares of Sandisk (SNDK), a maker of flash memory cards and solid-state drives, rose nearly 4% as the stock made its debut in the S&P 500 on Friday. Inclusion in a benchmark index can increase demand for the stock from index-tracking funds and new audiences of investors. Sandisk shares have soared since the company completed its spinoff from Western Digital (WDC) in February, buoyed by an upbeat outlook for memory pricing amid strong AI-driven demand.

Natural gas futures prices rose after temperatures dropped over Thanksgiving, with temperatures expected to remain below average over the next week, providing a strong demand signal for the key heating fuel. Shares of natural gas producer and pipeline operator EQT ( EQT ) rose more than 3%.

Cryptocurrency prices rose, with Bitcoin (BTCUSD) back above $90,000 after spending about a week below that level. Stocks with exposure to cryptocurrency markets rose alongside the price of Bitcoin on Friday. Shares of cryptocurrency exchange operator Coinbase Global (COIN) rose about 3%.

Shares of Eli Lilly (LLY) fell 2.6%, reversing part of recent gains that helped the drugmaker become the first healthcare company ever to reach a market value of more than $1 trillion. Sales of the company’s popular weight-loss drugs have fueled the rise. Despite Friday’s decline, Lilly’s stock is up about 39% for 2025.

Many AI fans were under pressure in the shortened trading session. Nvidia (NVDA) shares, which fell earlier in the week amid concerns about competitive threats from other companies, fell another 1.8% on Friday. Shares of database and networking software giant Oracle (ORCL) lost 1.5%.