U.S. markets kicked off Friday with solid gains across the board, led by technology stocks that helped push major indices higher. The Dow Jones climbed 0.49% to 48,188.36, while the Nasdaq outpaced its peers with a 1.03% jump to 23,243.38. The S&P 500 split the difference, rising 0.73% to 6,824.15.

Sector Spotlight: Tech Wins, Real Estate Loses

Information technology shares were the clear winners on Friday, surging 1.6% to lead all sectors. It was a clean sweep for bulls, with only one sector finishing in the red. Real estate stocks edged down 0.1%, making it the sole laggard in an otherwise positive session.

Conagra's Earnings Puzzle

Shares of Conagra Brands Inc. (CAG) dropped more than 4% Friday morning despite posting a quarterly earnings beat. The company reported earnings of 45 cents per share, edging out the analyst consensus estimate of 44 cents. But here's the thing: revenue came in at $2.979 billion, missing expectations of $2.986 billion. The market apparently cared more about the top-line miss than the bottom-line beat, sending shares lower.

Notable Movers

Several stocks made dramatic moves Friday. Autozi Internet Technology (Global) Ltd (AZI) skyrocketed 85% to $2.81 after announcing a strategic investor confirmed a $90 million initial equity investment. Julong Holding Ltd (JLHL) surged 43% to $4.37, while ProPhase Labs Inc (PRPH) jumped 44% to $0.15 following news that the company signed a non-binding letter of intent for a proposed reverse merger with Advanced Biological Laboratories.

On the downside, Geovax Labs Inc (GOVX) plunged 47% to $0.13. Nisun International Enterprise Development Group Co Ltd (NISN) fell 44% to $1.86, while Mangoceuticals Inc (MGRX) dropped 39% to $0.80 after announcing a Solana-focused digital asset treasury strategy worth up to $100 million.

Commodities and Global Markets

In commodity trading, oil climbed 1% to $56.47 per barrel, while precious metals pulled back. Gold dipped 0.2% to $4,365.60, and silver fell 1.9% to $65.640. Copper bucked the metals trend, rising 0.1% to $5.4360.

European markets closed with modest gains across the board. The eurozone's STOXX 600 added 0.1%, while Spain's IBEX 35 rose 0.2%. London's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX 40, and France's CAC 40 each gained 0.2%, 0.2%, and 0.1%, respectively.

Asian markets finished Friday's session in positive territory. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.03%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.75%, China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.36%, and India's BSE Sensex advanced 0.53%.

Economic Data

On the economic front, U.S. existing home sales increased 0.5% from the previous month, reaching an annualized rate of 4.13 million for November. The modest uptick suggests some resilience in the housing market despite elevated interest rates.