Market
September 25, U.S. stocks opened modestly firmer as investors digested lighter-than-expected inflation data and a last-minute deal in Washington to avert a government shutdown. The Dow Jones gained 0.19% to 51,449.92, the S&P 500 inched up 0.10% to 7,712.02, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.15% to 26,980.01, with breadth favoring advancers.
Gainers led early trade. Akamai spiked 15.34% after boosting its full-year outlook on robust cloud-security demand. Tesla Motors surged 8.25% as a bullish quarterly deliveries preview circulated. ARM Holdings climbed 4.44% on new high-performance server chip news, while Tradr 2X Long SNDK Daily ETF rallied 3.06% alongside strength in memory stocks Micron Technology (+1.30%) and Marvell Technology (+1.27%). Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x Shares added 1.42%. On the downside, Intel fell 2.07% after margin warnings, and Meta Platforms slipped 1.75% amid fresh EU antitrust headlines.
Broader tech and thematic movers included SK hynix up 1.34%, Bloom Energy Corp up 1.08%, Broadcom higher by 0.60%, and Rocket Lab USA, Inc. up 1.12% as space-tech sentiment improved. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing edged 0.04% higher, while Alphabet’s dual classes added about 0.18%. Among laggards, CoreWeave, Inc. eased 1.21%, Amazon.com lost 0.45%, and Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bear 3x Shares slipped 1.40%.
News
Micron Technology beats fiscal Q4 estimates, guides revenues higher. Management cited AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory and expects gross margins to expand next quarter, lifting the stock.
Tesla projects record Q3 deliveries after Model Y price hikes. Early shipment data suggest output above 500,000 units, fueling an 8% early-session rally and boosting EV peers.
Akamai lifts full-year sales outlook on cloud-security momentum. The company highlighted strong enterprise demand for edge computing, driving shares to their best one-day jump since 2024.
ARM Holdings unveils next-gen Neoverse processor, targets data centers. Analysts said the launch strengthens ARM’s position in AI workloads, sending the ADR up more than 4% at the open.
Meta Platforms faces expanded EU antitrust probe into advertising practices. The development raises regulatory risks, pressuring the stock lower despite broader tech strength.
Intel warns advanced-node transition will weigh on near-term margins. Investors reacted to cautious commentary at the company’s developer conference, knocking shares down over 2%.
August core PCE inflation cools to 2.8%, bolstering Fed pause expectations. The softer reading supported market hopes that rate hikes are done, aiding early equity gains.
U.S. Congress passes 45-day funding bill, averting government shutdown. The stopgap measure removes a key market overhang and supports risk sentiment.
Oil pulls back below $90 after surprise inventory build. Energy shares eased as traders reassessed supply-demand balances following the EIA report.
SEC clears first Ether futures ETFs for launch next week. Approval paves the way for broader institutional participation in crypto markets; related exchange-traded products traded mixed.
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