Stocks ended the day on a bright note Wednesday after solid data calmed the market, easing concerns about AI’s potential to disrupt businesses.
All major U.S. stock indices posted meaningful gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 129 points to 49,663. The NASDAQ gained 0.8% to 24,899. The S&P 500 advanced 0.56% to 6,881. The rally was broad-based, as most sectors ended the day in positive territory. Energy and technology led today’s rally with gains of 1.92% and 1.03%, respectively. Utilities, real estate, consumer staples, and industrials saw rotations out of those sectors after a streak of gains.
The U.S. Treasury market took a hit due to strong data, as investors rotated out of safe-haven assets. The U.S. 5-year and 10-year Treasury yields both rose 3 basis points to 3.65% and 4.09%, respectively.
Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies and gold continued to diverge. Bitcoin dipped another 1.7% today to near the 66,000 mark, almost half of its peak value just a few months ago. Gold, on the other hand, recovered nearly 2% and hit the 5,000 mark once again.
Let’s look at the data that reignited the market’s enthusiasm. While November housing data was approximately in line with expectations, December data was meaningfully better than economists’ forecasts. In addition, December durable-goods orders and January industrial metrics also surprised to the upside.
The FOMC meeting minutes revealed that the Federal Reserve members are moving further away from agreeing on another rate cut. Most participants judged that downside risks to employment had moderated in recent months, while the risk of more persistent inflation remained.
Weekly jobless claims and trade data will be available tomorrow, and we will bring you more updates. This is Adams Wealth Advisors, and thank you for listening.