USA Stock market news: December 22, 2025 — As the final full trading week of 2025 kicks off, the financial markets are witnessing a classic “Santa Claus rally” with a side of high-stakes volatility. While stock futures signalled a positive open this morning, several individual names are stealing the spotlight through massive contracts, strategic restructuring, and renewed takeover chatter.
From the aerospace frontiers of Rocket Lab to the boardroom shifts at Honeywell, here is your comprehensive deep dive into the biggest stock movers of Monday, December 22.
1. Abivax Société Anonyme (ABVX): The Biotech Takeover Frenzy
Shares of Abivax (ABVX) jumped nearly 10% in early Monday trading, continuing a month-long streak of volatility fueled by intense M&A (mergers and acquisitions) speculation.
Why the Stock is Moving:
The primary driver today is a fresh wave of reports suggesting that pharmaceutical giants—specifically Eli Lilly (LLY) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)—are circling the French biotech firm. Abivax has become a prime target due to the success of its lead drug candidate, obefazimod, an oral treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Key Catalysts for ABVX:
- Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Inclusion: Effective today, December 22, Abivax has been officially added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index. This move automatically triggers buying from index-tracking funds, providing a liquidity floor for the stock.
- Scientific Momentum: The company recently announced that 22 scientific abstracts for obefazimod were accepted for the ECCO 2026 Congress. Investors are particularly focused on the drug’s “anti-fibrotic” activity, which could be a game-changer for Crohn’s disease patients.
- Valuation Targets: While the stock has seen profit-taking recently after hitting 52-week highs, Guggenheim recently raised its price target to $175, suggesting significant upside from current levels.
2. Rocket Lab (RKLB): Launching into a New Valuation Orbit
Rocket Lab (RKLB) is perhaps the standout performer of the morning, with shares surging over 5% pre-market after a massive 17.7% gain in the previous session.
Why the Stock is Moving:
The “Beck-led” aerospace firm is reaping the rewards of a stellar execution streak. On December 19, Rocket Lab announced its largest-ever contract: an $816 million award from the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) to build 18 satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program.
The RKLB Scorecard:
- Defense Dominance: This contract brings Rocket Lab’s total backlog with the SDA to over $1.3 billion. RKLB is no longer just a “launch” company; it is now a major prime contractor for national security space infrastructure.
- Operational Excellence: The company successfully completed its 21st Electron launch of 2025 last week, maintaining a perfect 100% mission success rate for the year.
- Market Sentiment: With a market cap now approaching $38 billion, Rocket Lab has officially transitioned from a speculative “space SPAC” to a core aerospace and defense holding.
3. Honeywell (HON): Navigating a Strategic Slimdown
Not all “movers” are heading upward. Honeywell (HON) shares slipped about 2.2% pre-market following a complex series of financial updates and guidance revisions.
Why the Stock is Moving:
Honeywell is in the midst of a massive structural realignment. The company announced today that it will report its Advanced Materials business as “discontinued operations” starting this quarter.
The Financial Fallout:
- Guidance Cut: Because the Advanced Materials revenue is being stripped from the core balance sheet, Honeywell lowered its full-year 2025 EPS guidance to $9.70–$9.80, down from the previous $10.60–$10.70 range.
- Legal Headwinds: The company also disclosed a one-time $470 million charge related to ongoing Flexjet litigation.
- The Silver Lining: Despite the guidance trim, Honeywell increased its quarterly dividend to $1.19 per share, signaling confidence in its cash flow as it prepares to spin off its massive Aerospace business in 2026.
4. Fluor Corporation (FLR): Resistance at the Pivot
Engineering and construction giant Fluor (FLR) is seeing technical pressure this morning. After a volatile quarter marked by a $653 million legal charge related to a project in Australia, the stock is struggling to find a bottom.
Why the Stock is Moving:
Technical analysts have downgraded FLR to a “Sell” candidate as it trades below its 200-day moving average. However, the company is attempting to pivot by monetizing its stake in NuScale Power, expecting to complete the sale of 111 million shares by mid-2026. For now, the “negative insider sentiment” and project cost overruns are keeping the bulls at bay.
5. The Broader Market: AI and “Santa” Lead the Way
The individual movers are operating against a backdrop of a resilient year-end rally.
- Tech Dominance: Oracle (ORCL) and Nvidia (NVDA) continue to lead the Nasdaq higher. Oracle’s involvement in the TikTok USDS Joint Venture has reinvigorated investor interest in its cloud infrastructure.
- Commodity Records: In a rare “everything rally,” gold and silver have hit all-time highs today ($4,430 and $69 respectively), driven by the same geopolitical tensions (Venezuela/Ukraine) that are keeping the defense sector hot.
Monday Morning Snapshot:
| Ticker | Price Action | Key Reason |
| ABVX | +10.2% | Takeover rumors & Index inclusion |
| RKLB | +5.3% | $816M SDA Contract |
| HON | -2.2% | Guidance revision & Litigation charge |
| ORCL | +2.1% | TikTok JV & AI momentum |
| MU | +2.5% | Post-earnings strength |
Final Thoughts for Investors
As we head into the holiday-shortened weeks, volume will likely thin out, which can lead to exaggerated price swings. The theme of Monday is structural shift: companies like Honeywell and Fluor are trimming fat to find value, while “new-age” industrials like Rocket Lab and Abivax are proving that aggressive R&D and government partnerships are the current kings of the market.