In a low-volume day of trading following the Thanksgiving holiday, US stocks closed mixed on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) finished the day up by about 0.3%, or over 100 points higher. The benchmark S&P 500 (GSPC) hugged the flatline, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite (IXIC) lagged behind, falling roughly 0.1%.

Despite the mixed performance, all three major indices ended the week with gains, marking the fourth consecutive week of positive performance. Additionally, November is set to be the best month for the Dow since October 2022, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 on track for their best month since July 2022.

Bond yields saw an increase with the 10-year Treasury note (TNX) ticking up by about 6 basis points, trading near 4.48%.

Retailers outperformed the broader market as Black Friday marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The S&P retail sector (XRT) closed up by about 0.6%, with companies like Home Depot (HD) and Best Buy (BBY) experiencing gains to end the week positively. Despite warnings of cautious spending from penny-pinching consumers, big box chains such as Target (TGT) and Walmart (WMT) closed higher. Retailers have been extending holiday promotions earlier and for longer periods to cater to picky shoppers.

Amazon (AMZN), on the other hand, ended the shortened holiday trading session flat as the company prepared for the first-ever NFL Black Friday game. This move aims to capture more viewers, lure in holiday shoppers, and attract higher-paying advertisers.

Crude prices faced resistance due to discord at OPEC+. The group of oil-producing countries announced that the next meeting to discuss output would be held online. The meeting was delayed due to a dispute between Saudi Arabia and African members regarding quotas, according to Bloomberg. Brent crude futures (BZ=F) ticked lower, trading just above $81 per barrel after a 1.3% decline over the last two sessions. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dipped about 1.5%, trading at approximately $76 a barrel following the Thanksgiving break.

Nvidia's (NVDA) stock closed nearly 2% lower after Reuters reported that the company had postponed the launch of an AI chip in China to comply with US export curbs. Nvidia also acknowledged in its earnings report this week that the new US restrictions would have a negative impact on its results.

Cryptocurrencies experienced a significant boost, with Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rallying to trade above $38,000 at one point in the session, reaching its highest level since May 2022. Shares in crypto broker Coinbase (COIN) also rose in response to the news, closing up by approximately 6%.

Overall, US stocks had a mixed performance on Friday, with retailers outperforming the broader market and cryptocurrencies experiencing a surge. Discord within OPEC+ impacted crude prices, while Nvidia faced challenges due to US export restrictions. Investors await further market developments as the holiday shopping season unfolds and geopolitical factors continue to shape global markets.