US stocks hovered near record highs on Friday, with the Nasdaq lagging as post-election euphoria ebbed and China’s latest stimulus plan fell flat.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped below the flat line. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.6%.
Stocks drifted higher to end a stellar week of gains driven by optimism that President-elect Donald Trump’s policies will boost the economy. But the initial “Trump trade” rush appears to be fizzling out as Wall Street questions whether Trump will be able to push through his ambitious policies. The dollar (DX=F) and Treasury yields, for instance, have given up a good chunk of their post-election gains.
Even so, Wall Street major gauges are still on track for strong weekly wins after racking up more records on Thursday as the Federal Reserve delivered the expected interest rate cut. The S&P 500 is closing in on crossing the 6,000 level for the first time.
Meanwhile, Paramount Global (PARA) reported third quarter earnings on Friday that showed further improvement in its streaming business as it gets ready to combine with Skydance Media.
LIVE6 updates
8 mins ago
Dow hits new record to hover above 44,000 level for first time
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) soared to new intraday highs on Friday, crossing the 44,000 level.
The blue-chip index was up nearly 0.7%, or about 290 points.
Ironically, AI chip heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA), which joined the Dow on Friday, was lower by about 1% during the session.
The major average is up about 28% year to date.
25 mins ago
Tesla market cap hits $1 trillion as stock soars
Tesla (TSLA) hit $1 trillion in market cap on Friday as shares of the electric vehicle giant soared as much as 7%. The stock has been on fire this week following Donald Trump’s White House victory.
CEO Elon Musk was instrumental in helping Trump get elected with more than $130 million in political support.
On Friday, Tesla shares were trading at their highest level since March 22.
30 mins ago
DJT stock jumps after Trump says he will not sell shares
Trump Media & Technology Group stock (DJT) leaped 10% and was briefly halted for volatility after Donald Trump said he would not sell his shares in the company, the home of Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.
Trump, who made the announcement on his Truth Social account, maintains a roughly 60% interest in DJT. At current levels of around $30 a share, Trump Media boasts a market cap of about $6.5 billion, giving the president-elect a stake worth around $3.9 billion.
Shares in the company have been on a wild ride over the past week, with the up-and-down moves mostly tied to Trump’s chances of reclaiming the White House.
On Thursday, the stock fell nearly 23% to reverse the gains it enjoyed the day prior as Trump clinched victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election. But with Friday’s moves to the upside, the stock is down just 2% over the past five days, although shares have rallied by more than 60% in the past month.
Inflation expectations fall to lowest level since December 2020
Americans are feeling increasingly better about the short-term path for inflation.
The latest consumer sentiment survey from the University of Michigan revealed consumers expect inflation to sit at 2.6% in a year, a decrease from last month’s expectation of 2.7%. November’s reading is the lowest since December 2020 and is within the 2.3% to 3% range seen in the two years before the pandemic.
Expectations for long-run inflation did tick higher, though, rising to 3.1% from 3% the month prior.
The overall consumer sentiment index popped to a reading of 73, up from 71 in October. Interviews for the survey concluded on Monday and therefore don’t capture any reactions to election results.
Today at 2:33 PM UTC
Major averages drift higher, Nvidia officially part of the Dow
US stocks flirted with their record highs on Friday following the latest rate cut announced by the Federal Reserve.
Market euphoria following a Trump White House victory seemed to drift as the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was little changed. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) gained 0.3%
On Thursday the Federal Reserve announced a 25 basis point cut, a move widely anticipated by the markets.
And on Friday AI chip heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA) replaced semiconductor giant Intel (INTC) as one of the Dow’s 30 components.
The new addition should give the blue-chip index an added boost. Intel shares are down roughly 45% year to date while Nvidia is up more than 200%.
Paint maker Sherwin-Williams (SHW) also replaced Dow Inc. (DOW) as a component of the major average.
Today at 1:34 PM UTC
Good morning. Here’s what’s happening today.
Here’s a look at the key market themes as you wake up today: China’s stimulus falls short, Paramount misses earnings despite streaming growth, and Nvidia hits a $3.6T market cap. Meanwhile, investors have pulled back on Trump trades, uncertain about his tariff plans.
Economic data: University of Michigan consumer sentiment, (November preliminary)
