01 Stock Market
The U.S. major indexes closed as follows: Dow Jones up 0.58% at 50,579.70; S&P 500 up 0.37% at 7,473.47; NASDAQ up 0.19% at 26,343.97. Investors balanced upbeat corporate movers in technology and space with cautious macro news, leaving all three benchmarks modestly higher by the closing bell.
Semiconductors, quantum, and space names topped the day’s unusual-move list. Chip leaders were mixed: NVDA declined 1.90% at $215.33, while AMD rose 3.99% at $467.51 and INTC gained 1.13% at $119.84. Quantum-computing play RGTI jumped 19.87% at $26.42, with peers QBTS up 14.22% at $29.40 and QUBT up 7.89% at $12.31. Wireless titan QCOM surged 11.60% at $238.16, and 5G stalwart NOK advanced 9.10% at $15.47. In space, RKLB climbed 8.22% at $135.76. EV bellwether TSLA added 1.95% at $426.01, while China’s PDD fell 3.34% at $94.52 and NIO dropped 7.14% at $5.20. Leveraged semiconductor ETF SOXL leapt 6.82% at $190.56, whereas inverse peer SOXS fell 6.76% at $7.73. Giants AAPL gained 1.26% at $308.82, MSFT slipped 0.12% at $418.57, and GOOG eased 1.07% at $379.38.
Behind the moves, investors focused on sector-specific catalysts. Strong contract wins lifted aerospace disruptors, while fresh U.S. government incentives boosted quantum names. Chipmakers benefited from bullish analyst calls and policy tailwinds, though profit-taking weighed on some megacap tech stocks. Retail traders also rotated into high-beta plays, amplifying price swings across the day’s top gainers and decliners.
02 Other Markets
U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell by 0.26%, latest at 4.57%.
USD/CNH rose 0.03%, at 6.83; USD/HKD rose 0.01%, at 7.83.
U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.14%, at 99.32.
WTI crude futures rose 0.67%, at 97.00 USD/bbl; COMEX gold futures fell 0.70%, at 4,510.50 USD/oz.
03 Top News
1. SpaceX’s Starship V3 completed a debut test flight, advancing its path to commercial missions. The uncrewed launch from Texas trialed new Raptor 3 engines and a stronger launch pad. Success supports ambitions for frequent satellite deployment and Moon missions ahead of a record-sized IPO.
2. Rocket Lab secured a $90 million U.S. Space Force satellite contract, sending its shares sharply higher. The award, coupled with a fresh launch success, offset prior session jitters linked to SpaceX’s upcoming IPO. The company’s stock has now rebounded after a brief pullback.
3. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller signaled that the next policy step could be a rate hike if inflation persists. He advocated removing the Fed’s “easing bias” to mark equal odds of tightening or cutting. Markets increased bets on a quarter-point increase by year-end following his remarks.
4. University of Michigan data showed U.S. consumer sentiment sliding to a record low amid higher fuel costs. The headline index fell to 44.8, with 57% of respondents citing worsening personal finances. Long-term inflation expectations climbed to 3.9%, their highest in seven months.
5. Dell Technologies soared after an analyst boosted its price target to $270, citing stronger earnings potential. Wells Fargo highlighted faster-than-expected profit growth through 2028. Peer HP Inc also rallied on the upbeat outlook for personal-computer demand.
6. Zoom raised full-year revenue and earnings guidance following robust AI-driven demand. Quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.55 beat consensus, while AI Companion adoption rose 184% year-on-year. Management emphasized new monetization streams and an expanded share-repurchase plan.
7. The U.S. Commerce Department plans $2 billion in grants to nine quantum-computing firms to bolster domestic supply chains. IBM will receive the largest share, with additional funding for GlobalFoundries and listed players such as Rigetti Computing and Quantum Computing Inc. The initiative leverages CHIPS and Science Act resources.
8.Kevin Warsh sworn in as Fed chair as Trump seeks interest rate cuts. Warsh, 56, becomes the 11th Fed chair of the modern banking era and succeeds Jerome Powell, who served eight years and will stay on as a governor.
9. ReElement Technologies and POSCO International formed a $200 million joint venture to build a U.S. rare-earth magnet supply chain. Phase 1 aims for 3,000 metric tons of refined oxides by 2028, expanding to 6,000 tons by 2030. The deal strengthens domestic resources for critical materials.
10. Workday reported better-than-expected quarterly results and lifted its full-year outlook, boosting enterprise-software optimism. Subscription revenue growth and rising AI adoption underpinned the beat. Shares gained as investors welcomed management’s confidence amid a competitive cloud landscape.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data
Disclaimer: This content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
