U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday as the Dow closed above 40,000 for the first time as copper prices soared and Nvidia (NVDA) earnings loomed.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was nearly flat after the blue-chip benchmark hit a record high. The Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC), which has a high proportion of high-tech stocks, rose about 0.1%.
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. Monday’s appearance by Christopher Waller, Philip Jefferson and other officials could shed some light on this debate. But as Yahoo Finance’s Josh Schafer reports, the first test will come Wednesday with the release of the minutes of the May Fed meeting.
read more: How does the labor market affect inflation?
The market is also 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 revenue are sky high, with growth expected to be 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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