us stock market: US stock market today: S&P 500 gains, Nvidia backs CoreWeave, Apple Target raised, USA Rare Earth surges
The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.4%, supported by strong moves in tech stocks. Apple shares jumped about 2%, giving the Nasdaq a boost ahead of Apple’s earnings report later this week. Meta Platforms stock rose around 1%, as investors waited for its quarterly results, as reported by CNBC.
Trump tariff warning
Investors reacted to fresh political tension after President Donald Trump warned of a possible 100% tariff on Canadian goods. Trump said the tariff would happen if Canada makes a trade deal with China, increasing trade worries. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the claim, saying Canada has “no intention” of making a free trade deal with China. Market analysts said investors are not very worried yet, but repeated tariff threats are hurting confidence slowly.
Adam Crisafulli said the situation is still very fluid, and constant tariff pressure on allies is damaging market sentiment over time. Investors also focused on Washington politics, after anger grew over federal immigration agents shooting a US citizen in Minnesota for the second time this month.
The incident raised fears of a possible US government shutdown, adding stress to markets. Several Democratic senators said they will block a $1.2 trillion funding bill if it includes money for Homeland Security, as stated by CNBC. A person close to Senate Republican leadership said DHS funding will stay, lowering shutdown fears slightly.
Gold prices hit record high
Gold prices went up a lot on Monday because people wanted a safe place to keep their money. Gold went above $5,100 per ounce for the first time ever. This is the highest price in history. People are worried about politics and government money issues, so they are buying gold. This shows fear in the market.
This week is very important for the stock market. More than 90 big companies from the S&P 500 will share their earnings results. Meta and Microsoft will report on Wednesday. Apple will report on Thursday, and many people are waiting for it. So far, company results have been good. About 76% of companies that reported earnings did better than expected. This shows many businesses are still doing well. Some stocks still fell despite good earnings, including Intel and Netflix, as cited by CNBC.
Fed decision in focus
Wall Street is coming off a losing week, after global political tensions scared investors. Markets stabilized late last week, after Trump said a “framework” deal on Greenland was reached. Despite the late rebound, the S&P 500 fell about 0.4% last week, marking its second weekly loss in a row.
The Federal Reserve will announce its first policy decision of the year on Wednesday, a key event for markets. The Fed is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, according to Wall Street expectations. Investors will listen closely for hints about future rate cuts, which could move stocks sharply. Deutsche Bank said oral Wegovy is not hurting demand for obesity shots, calming fears in the healthcare sector.
Analyst James Shin said most oral Wegovy prescriptions are new users, not people switching from injections. Only a small number of patients switched from injectable Wegovy, according to prescription data. Novo Nordisk shares are up 25% this month, helped by positive sentiment around oral Wegovy, as per the report by CNBC. Eli Lilly shares are down about 1% over the same period, showing weaker momentum.
Top stocks and company news
US stocks were already higher early Monday morning, before the full trading session began. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% shortly after the open, signaling early optimism. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.1%, while tech stocks showed mild gains. The Dow Jones traded up 143 points, or 0.3%, early in the session. USA Rare Earth shares jumped more than 21% premarket, after news of government involvement.
The Trump administration took a stake in USA Rare Earth, boosting investor confidence. The company will issue 16.1 million shares and 17.6 million warrants, as part of the deal. Allied Gold shares rose over 3%, after agreeing to be bought by Zijin Gold, as noted by CNBC. Zijin Gold will acquire Allied Gold for C$5.5 billion in cash, with the deal expected to close by late April. Newmont shares climbed more than 4%, supported by record-high gold prices.
Durable goods orders rose more than expected in November, showing strong demand. Orders for long-lasting items jumped 5.3%, beating forecasts. This reversed a 2.1% decline in October, showing a strong rebound. Economists expected only a 4.5% rise, making the report better than expected.
Nvidia invests big in CoreWeave
CoreWeave shares jumped 10% premarket, after Nvidia announced a major investment. Nvidia invested $2 billion in CoreWeave, strengthening its AI strategy. Nvidia bought shares at $87.20 each, below Friday’s closing price. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised CoreWeave’s AI expertise, calling it key to the AI revolution.
JPMorgan raised Apple’s price target to $315, ahead of Apple’s earnings report, as per CNBC report. The bank cited strong iPhone demand and lower costs, which could help Apple beat earnings estimates. JPMorgan kept its overweight rating on Apple, showing confidence in the stock. USA Rare Earth later surged as much as 32%, after reports of a 10% Trump administration stake, as per Reuters and Financial Times reports.
The Commerce Department plans to give USA Rare Earth a $1.3 billion loan, plus $277 million in funding. These developments made USA Rare Earth one of the top market movers of the day, highlighting strong investor interest.
FAQs
Q1. Why did the S&P 500 rise today?
The S&P 500 moved up as strong economic data, big tech gains, and investor focus on earnings lifted market confidence.
Q2. Why did USA Rare Earth stock jump sharply?
USA Rare Earth surged after reports of a Trump administration stake and major government funding support.
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