**Broad gains across major stock indices, Dow Jones up 0.04%;
**Mid to long-term U.S. Treasury yields surge, 10-year U.S. Treasury returns above 4.30%;
**Rivian soars over 20% following investment from Volkswagen.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks rose across the board, with technology stocks performing well as investors awaited this week's key inflation report to gauge the direction of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. By the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15.64 points, or 0.04%, to 39,127.80, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.49% to 17,805.16, and the S&P 500 Index increased 0.16% to 5,477.90.
Market Overview
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that new home sales fell 11.3% in May to 619,000 units. Facing high mortgage rates, the number of homebuyers has decreased, with new home sales at a near six-month low. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) showed that builder sentiment in the market has dropped to its lowest level since December 2023.
Mid to long-term U.S. Treasury yields hit a one-week high, with the closely rate-expectation-linked 2-year U.S. Treasury rising to 4.74%, and the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury climbing to 4.74%. Investors are closely monitoring the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE), the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator, which will be released on Friday. Federal funds rate futures indicate that market participants believe there is nearly a 60% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut in September, with approximately two cuts expected by year-end.
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Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at financial services firm B Riley Wealth, stated: "The market is trying to determine whether to focus on the three largest stocks—Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft—or if it's time for the other 497 stocks to take the baton. This has been the debate on the market for the past week or so, and it continues today. However, I believe this question will not be answered until we enter the second quarter earnings season."
Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group, anticipates that positive earnings and benign inflation data may encourage more capital to shift towards sectors that have lagged behind this year in the technology industry.On individual stocks, the delivery giant FedEx surged by 15.5%, as the company forecasted profits for the fiscal year 2025 to be higher than expected.
Whirlpool rose by 17.1%, with news that German Bosch is considering a takeover bid for the American home appliance manufacturer.
Tesla gained 4.8%, following an upgrade to a buy rating by the brokerage firm Stifel.
Amazon climbed by 3.9%, making it the fifth U.S. company to reach a market value of over $2 trillion.
Apple increased by 2.0%, after Rosenblatt upgraded the iPhone maker's stock from "neutral" to "buy."
Rivian's stock skyrocketed by 21%, as the German automaker Volkswagen announced it would invest up to $5 billion in the American electric vehicle manufacturer.
General Mills' stock declined by 4.6%, affected by a drop in demand for its fast-food outlets and pet food, as well as rising input costs, leading to revenue that fell short of expectations and disappointing guidance.
International oil prices edged higher, as investors weighed the outlook for demand. The near-month WTI crude oil contract rose by 0.09%,报价 at $80.90 per barrel, while the near-month Brent crude oil contract increased by 0.28%,报价 at $85.25 per barrel.
Gold fell to a two-week low, weighed down by a stronger dollar and rising U.S. Treasury yields.