In this calm, end-of-week edition of The Gentle Ledger, we settle into a market gently lifted by a late-December tech rebound and year-end positioning. U.S. indexes closed higher, led by renewed strength in Nvidia, Broadcom, and Oracle, while consumer names like Nike and Lamb Weston reminded investors that not every sector joins the rally at the same pace. We trace the day’s corporate winners and losers with clear price moves, then drift across Asia and Europe, where markets reflected seasonal optimism tempered by caution. Commodities offered steady signals, with gold holding elevated levels and oil inching higher, while Treasury yields remained watchful. In crypto, Bitcoin rose alongside broader risk appetite, echoing the market’s soft confidence. Tonight’s episode is a gentle closing note to the week — a reminder that markets, like people, often end best when they slow down before moving on.