01 Stock Market
The U.S. major indexes closed as follows: Dow Jones up 0.55% at 50,285.66; S&P 500 up 0.17% at 7,445.72; NASDAQ up 0.09% at 26,293.10. The blue-chip average crossed the 50,000 mark for the first time, while the broader market eked out modest gains amid a flurry of technology and commodity headlines.
Quantum computing and semiconductor shares delivered the session’s most pronounced swings. D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) up 33.37% at $25.74 and Rigetti Computing (RGTI) up 30.57% at $22.04 soared after news of fresh federal grants, while IONQ (IONQ) climbed 12.24% at $58.89. Memory specialist Micron Technology (MU) added 4.11% at $762.10, and leveraged chip ETF SOXL advanced 3.00% at $178.39. Conversely, space launch firm Rocket Lab (RKLB) fell 6.58% at $125.45, and bearish chip fund SOXS declined 2.93% at $8.29 as risk appetite favored long-side exposure.
Mega-caps posted mixed moves alongside brisk activity in thematic ETFs. Apple (AAPL) rose 0.91% at $304.99, while NVIDIA (NVDA) slipped 1.77% at $219.51 despite upbeat analyst calls. Among peers, Intel (INTC) edged 0.39% lower at $118.50 and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) firmed 0.45% at $449.59. Hardware supplier Lumentum (LITE) jumped 11.11% at $964.50, and newly listed ARM Holdings (ARM) rallied 16.16% at $298.23. Broad-based S&P 500 tracker VOO inched 0.19% higher at $682.84, underscoring generally steady index-level sentiment even as stock-specific volatility remained elevated.
02 Other Markets
U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose by 0.00%, latest at 4.58%.
USD/CNH rose 0.05%, at 6.83; USD/HKD fell 0.00%, at 7.83.
U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.00%, at 99.19.
WTI crude futures rose 1.47%, at 97.77 USD/bbl; COMEX gold futures rose 0.06%, at 4,545.40 USD/oz.
03 Top News
1. U.S. Commerce Department will fund nine quantum-computing firms with $2 billion and take minority equity stakes. The initiative is financed through the Chips and Science Act and aims to accelerate domestic supply chains. Beneficiaries include IBM, Rigetti Computing and several early-stage peers, spurring strong share-price rallies across the group.
2. Applied Digital signed a 15-year, $7.5 billion hyperscale lease for its new AI data-center campus. The deal guarantees long-term cash flows tied to a major investment-grade customer. Total contracted revenue could exceed $18 billion if renewal options are exercised.
3. Birkenstock launched a $250 million accelerated share-repurchase program following recent stock weakness. Management said the buyback underscores confidence that market prices undervalue the footwear brand’s fundamentals. Shares jumped sharply as investors welcomed the capital-return commitment.
4. Walmart reaffirmed full-year sales and earnings targets but guided conservatively for the current quarter. The retailer cited higher fuel costs and cautious consumer spending, yet continues to gain market share in groceries and e-commerce. Shares slipped as investors weighed margin pressure against steady revenue growth.
5. Ralph Lauren beat quarterly earnings estimates on robust demand for premium apparel. Strong full-price sales in Asia, especially China, lifted revenue and profitability. The company forecast mid-single-digit growth for the year, sending its stock higher in pre-market trade.
6. Stellantis unveiled a €60 billion strategy through 2030, including 60 new vehicle models and capacity-sharing ventures. The automaker will concentrate investment on core brands such as Jeep and Peugeot while monetizing under-used European plants via contract manufacturing. Investors reacted warily, pushing the shares lower.
7. Weekly U.S. jobless claims held near 209,000, signaling a resilient labor market. Continuing claims edged up to 1.78 million, but layoffs remain muted despite recent corporate downsizing announcements. Economists view the data as consistent with a “low-hire, low-fire” environment.
8. Iran is negotiating with Oman to create a permanent toll system for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s envoy said users should pay for navigation and security services, underscoring the strategic waterway’s geopolitical importance. The proposal heightened energy-market sensitivity to Middle-East developments.
9. Microsoft is reportedly in talks with Anthropic to supply proprietary AI chips for large-language-model training. The discussions highlight intensifying competition in custom accelerator hardware. Microsoft shares rose modestly amid optimism over expanding AI partnerships.
10. Nebius announced a multibillion-dollar fuel-cell partnership with Bloom Energy to power AI infrastructure. The agreement targets 328 MW of capacity and potential payments up to $2.6 billion. Nebius shares outperformed alongside gains in clean-energy peers.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data Disclaimer: This content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.