Market Updates: S&P 500 and Nasdaq Close Higher, BlackRock Bullish on Emerging Markets, Commodities Still a Risk, and More
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed higher on Monday, with the Nasdaq rising 0.65% to reach a new record high. The S&P 500 also added 0.09% during the trading session. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.49%.
In other news, the BlackRock Investment Institute has turned bullish on emerging market stocks, citing the widening gap between developed and emerging market valuations. The institute highlighted Mexico, India, and Saudi Arabia as particularly attractive emerging markets.
On the flip side, Raymond James managing director Tavis McCourt warned that commodities remain a significant risk to the U.S. stock market. He noted that further price increases in commodities could lead global portfolio managers to shift back to emerging markets.
Additionally, 56 stocks in the S&P 500 hit new 52-week highs, while JPMorgan’s drop following comments from CEO Jamie Dimon weighed on the SPDR S&P Bank ETF. Dimon hinted at his retirement, causing JPMorgan shares to fall by 2.5%.
Target shares also fell after the retailer announced price cuts on 5,000 items in an effort to attract cost-conscious consumers. Meanwhile, Hims & Hers Health saw its shares surge nearly 30% after introducing access to compounded GLP-1 weight loss injections.
In the tech sector, information technology stocks led sector gains, with Nvidia shares climbing more than 2%. Precious and base metals prices also surged to record highs, with gold futures reaching an all-time high of $2,454.20 an ounce.
Looking ahead, Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz predicted that bitcoin would hit a new high before the year-end and could reach $100,000. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson emphasized that inflation is not cooling quickly enough to warrant interest rate reductions.
Overall, the stock market saw a mix of gains and losses on Monday, with various sectors and individual stocks making significant moves throughout the trading session.