Credited from: SCMP
The US stock market experienced a significant rebound on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring 1,206 points, or 2.5%, surpassing the 50,000 mark for the first time ever. The S&P 500 rose by 2%, marking its best day since May, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.2%, fueled by a particularly robust performance from technology stocks, notably chipmakers like Nvidia and Broadcom, which saw gains of 7.8% and 7.1% respectively. This market rally represents a substantial comeback after a week of losses attributed to rising concerns about spending in artificial intelligence and its effects on profit margins, according to Indiatimes, Los Angeles Times, and South China Morning Post.
Notably, Amazon's announcement of projected spending of approximately $200 billion in sectors such as AI and robotics raised concerns among investors, contributing to its stock dropping by 5.6%. This sentiment was echoed by further worries that heavy investments by major tech firms like Alphabet might not yield satisfactory profits. These dynamics appear to have negatively influenced the market despite Friday's gains, as the S&P 500 was still set for its third loss in four weeks, highlighting persistent uncertainty around technology sector profitability, according to Indiatimes, Los Angeles Times, and South China Morning Post.
On the cryptocurrency front, Bitcoin showed signs of recovery, stabilizing above $70,000 after recently trading below $60,000. This resurgence invigorated stocks of companies in the crypto sector, with Robinhood Markets shares jumping 14%, Coinbase seeing a 13% rise, and Strategy, an investment firm in Bitcoin, soaring 26.1%. This stabilization was crucial in bringing confidence back to the market and is indicative of a potential rebound in investor sentiment towards digital currencies, as noted by Indiatimes, Los Angeles Times, and South China Morning Post.
Additionally, reports from the University of Michigan indicated a slight improvement in US consumer sentiment, contrary to expectations for a decline, particularly among stock-owning households. This boost in consumer confidence potentially bodes well for increased spending, especially in the travel sector, where airline stocks flourished, including significant jumps of 9.3% for United Airlines and 8% for Delta Air Lines. The broader trend among smaller companies also reflected positive sentiment, as the Russell 2000 index showed a 3.6% increase, aligning with the overall market recovery trends, according to Indiatimes, Los Angeles Times, and South China Morning Post.