US stocks tilted higher on Monday as the Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC) hit an intraday high and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) struggled to maintain the 40,000 level.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.3%, and the Dow swung around the flatline after the blue-chip benchmark closed above $40,000 for the first time in history on Friday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 0.6% as Nvidia (NVDA) stock rose ahead of the chipmaker's earnings expected later this week.
Stocks rose as investors grew more optimistic that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates soon, despite warnings from policymakers. All three major indexes closed at all-time highs on Friday as risk appetite increased and Wall Street strategists gave a bullish outlook for stocks.
The key question for investors is whether that outlook is sustainable or ahead of the Fed's direction. As Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports, a key test will come Wednesday with the release of the minutes of the May Fed meeting.
On Monday, Fed Vice Chairman Philip Jefferson and Fed Vice Chairman Michael Barr pointed to disappointing inflation in the first quarter as a reason to keep interest rates where they are, giving them more time for restrictive policy to work. did it.
read more: How does the labor market affect inflation?
The market is bracing for Nvidia's highly anticipated quarterly results on Wednesday, seen as a key catalyst for the stock's rise. Expectations for the AI chipmaker's revenue and earnings are sky-high, with expectations for growth of 400% and 240%, respectively, and the focus is once again on whether it can live up to the hype.
At the same time, there are growing concerns that the rise in commodity markets could lead to a knock-on rise in U.S. inflation. LME copper prices topped $11,000 a tonne for the first time, rising to a record high as investors flocked to looming supply shortages. Meanwhile, gold prices (GC=F) soared, hitting a new intraday high around $2,450 per ounce.
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