A CME Group outage, a weakening U.S. dollar, sticky Tokyo inflation, and a stabilizing Bitcoin price are the main forces moving markets today.

CME outage hits futures

A technical issue at data‑center operator CyrusOne forced CME Group to halt trading in a wide range of futures and options, including commodities, agricultural contracts, FX and major equity index futures such as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 . The disruption, coming during a shortened post‑Thanksgiving U.S. session, further dampened already thin global volumes and left many hedgers and speculators temporarily “flying blind.”​

Dollar’s worst week in four months

The U.S. dollar index dipped toward 99.70 and is on track for its sharpest weekly fall since July, as markets now price roughly an 85% chance of a 25‑bp Federal Reserve rate cut at the December 9–10 meeting, up from about 40% earlier in the month. Softer U.S. data and dovish comments from some Fed officials fueled the move, while speculation that White House adviser Kevin Hassett could become Fed chair increased expectations for a faster easing bias.​

Tokyo inflation keeps BOJ under pressure

Tokyo’s core CPI rose 2.8% year‑on‑year in November, above forecasts and well over the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, with headline inflation steady at 2.7% on strong food prices. The persistent price pressures bolster the case for a BOJ rate hike at its December meeting, though tighter policy could clash with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push for looser conditions and more fiscal support.​

Risk assets and Bitcoin

Asian equities ended a tough November on relatively stable footing, helped by hopes of a U.S. rate cut despite ongoing worries over Chinese property and stretched AI‑related tech valuations. In Europe, the STOXX 600 is on track for a fifth straight positive month, its longest winning streak since 2024.​

Bitcoin hovered around 91,000 dollars, down slightly on the day but up nearly 8% on the week after rebounding from a brief drop toward 80,000—the lowest level since April. The move reflects growing bets on Fed easing and renewed interest in crypto after four consecutive weeks of declines.​

Source: Investing.com / Reuters – “CME glitch; U.S. dollar on pace for weekly fall; Tokyo CPI – what’s moving markets”​