U.S. Stocks Rise After Opening Bell as Tech Optimism Lifts Markets

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U.S. stocks advanced early Monday, extending recent gains as investors returned from the holiday break focused on technology optimism ahead of the CES conference in Las Vegas, even as volatility ticked higher and commodities rallied.

Shortly after the opening bell in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 405.51 points, or 0.84%, to 48,787.9. The S&P 500 added 36.59 points, or 0.53%, to 6,895.06, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 118.45 points, or 0.51%, to 23,354.1.

The early strength reflected renewed enthusiasm around large technology companies and artificial-intelligence investment themes that have dominated markets entering 2026. Analysts at Wedbush Securities said CES this week is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the technology sector, with global IT decision makers gathering to map out long-term AI strategies. Wedbush said it expects $3 trillion to $4 trillion of AI-related capital expenditures to hit the market over the next three years, calling the shift a “once in a 40-year” transformation for the industry AI Revolution Front and Center ….

According to Wedbush, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang is scheduled to deliver a keynote address Monday afternoon that will be closely watched by markets. The firm said it expects Huang to focus on Nvidia’s strategic direction in data centers, physical AI, robotics, and autonomous technology, as enterprises expand the number of AI use cases across industries. Wedbush added that AMD Chief Executive Lisa Su is also set to speak at CES, with significant updates to the company’s Ryzen products anticipated New Article Build - Google Docs.

Outside equities, commodities posted broad gains. U.S. crude oil futures for February delivery rose 1.12% to $57.96 a barrel, while gold surged 2.39% to $4,432.90 an ounce, reflecting continued demand for hard assets at the start of the year. Bitcoin traded above $92,500, up 1.53%, as cryptocurrency prices tracked the broader risk-on tone in markets.

At the same time, measures of investor anxiety edged higher. The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX—often referred to as Wall Street’s “fear gauge”—rose 3.38% to 15.00. The VIX reflects expectations for near-term swings in the S&P 500 based on options prices and remains well below its long-term average, suggesting investors are still largely comfortable with risk despite the uptick.

Some economists continue to point to structural factors supporting consumer balance sheets. Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said 40% of U.S. homes are now mortgage-free, up from 33% in 2010, citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bloomberg. The trend has helped insulate many households from higher interest rates, even as borrowing costs remain elevated.

With trading still in its early stages, investors are expected to focus throughout the day on developments from CES, energy prices, and any signals about risk appetite as the first full trading week of the year gets underway.