U.S. equities were higher in morning trading in this shortened session, as the enthusiasm following the presidential election continued, helping stocks head toward strong gains for the month of November. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq were up.

Hasbro (HAS) shares jumped when Elon Musk hinted on his social media platform, X, that he might be interested in buying the toy company.

It was another record-setting performance for shares of Unusual Machines (UMAC) following Wednesday's announcement that Donald Trump Jr. had joined the drone parts maker's advisory board.

The price of bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies rose, helping to lift shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR), the largest corporate holder of bitcoin.

The recent roller-coaster ride for shares of Super Micro Computer (SMCI) continued. They plunged today as the computer server manufacturer struggled to keep from being delisted on the Nasdaq because of accounting questions that have delayed its financial reporting. 

Shares of Applied Therapeutics (APLT) cratered when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected the biopharmaceutical firm's New Drug Application (NDA) for its experimental treatment for a rare metabolic disease known as Galactosemia.

Oil and gold futures advanced. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell. The U.S. dollar was little changed against the euro and pound, but lost ground to the yen.