US stocks were on track for a record closing high, buoyed by semiconductor stocks, strong monthly payrolls figures and a US-Iran ceasefire that appeared intact even with overnight clashes near the Strait of Hormuz.
US stocks opened lower as risk-off sentiment swept through markets and fintech Block Inc.’s massive layoffs fanned angst that artificial-intelligence is poised to upend broad sections of the economy.
The S&P 500 Index climbed at the open on Friday as investors bought tech stocks ahead of next week’s massive CES conference and cheered signs President Donald Trump was easing up on tariff policies.
Shares of Apple Inc. were battered earlier this year as the iPhone maker faced repeated complaints about its lack of an artificial intelligence strategy. But as the AI trade faces increasing scrutiny, that hesitance has gone from a weakness to a strength — and it’s showing up in the stock market.
The S&P 500 Index edged higher to start Friday, recovering some of the losses caused by recent concerns over stretched valuations and a potential AI bubble. The recovery was supported by remarks from Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams, who suggested there is room to lower interest rates soon. These comments immediately boosted market expectations for a December rate cut.
The US stock market has roared past every caution sign on its way to a dizzying 36% surge since the April lows. It’s now staring down one favored by investing legend Warren Buffett.
Investors will be looking beyond the bottom line in chipmaker Intel Corp.’s third-quarter earnings after a wave of investments from the White House, Nvidia Corp. and Softbank Group Corp. sent the stock soaring 86% in less than three months.
The number of Russell 3000 companies, excluding financial firms, trading below cash has surpassed the month-end record set during the global financial crisis.
The S&P 500 will probably end next year with a gain, while yields on 10-year Treasuries and the price of oil will climb as well. That’s according to nearly 900 Bloomberg Terminal clients who responded to a survey conducted by our Markets Live blog in the first two weeks of December.
In a year that saw corporate forecasts canceled faster than travel plans, the third-quarter U.S. earnings season brought a sense of normalcy with better-than-expected profits and rising forecasts. Now a second wave of Covid-19 infections and renewed lockdowns threaten to cloud those views.
