Trending Sectors | Tech Giants Shine, AI & Chips Surge, EVs and Retail Mixed, Gold and Crypto Falter

【Major U.S. Stock Indices】

The major U.S. stock indices showed strong performance, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.55% to 36,301.77 points, the Nasdaq Composite increasing 1.13% to 14,893.75 points, and the S&P 500 climbing 1.01% to 4,485.15 points. Overall market sentiment was optimistic, primarily driven by strong performances in tech stocks. Additionally, rising expectations for future interest rate cuts provided support to the market.

【Performance of Leading Tech】

The seven tech giants mostly saw gains. Microsoft (MSFT) rose 0.97%, benefiting from active trading in its options market with a volume of 235.6K contracts and open interest of 2.4061M contracts. Apple (AAPL) saw a slight dip of 0.34%; despite some investor optimism due to news about the new iPhone, the overall performance failed to sustain upward momentum. Amazon (AMZN) jumped 3.71%, driven by active performance in its options market with a volume of 567.6K contracts and open interest of 4.2262M contracts. Google (GOOGL) increased 0.99%, with market interest piqued by Google's reintroduction of its AI image generation tool, Imagen 3. Meta (META) increased 0.60%; although facing warnings from Trump, the progress in its lightweight MR headset development brought some positive sentiment. Tesla (TSLA) surged 3.80% on news of launching Robotaxi at Warner Bros. Hollywood studio.

【Performance of AI and Chip Stocks】

The AI and chip sectors performed strongly. Nvidia (NVDA) increased 1.51%, reaching a market cap of $2.93 trillion; despite not meeting the highest performance expectations, analysts remain optimistic about the growth potential of its Blackwell chip. SMIC (AMD) fell 2.48%, mainly due to delayed submission of its 10-K annual report. Intel (INTC) surged 9.49% amid rumors of possibly spinning off its foundry business. TSMC (TSM) rose 1.51%, benefiting from news that it will start mass production of 2nm chips next year. Chip equipment company ASML (ASML) increased 1.82%, with limited impact from its restricted business in China. Dell Technologies (DELL) soared 4.33%, driven by strong demand for its AI servers and stable ISG margins.

【Performance of EVs, Weight Loss Drugs, Oil Stocks, Gold Stocks, Digital Currencies, and Meme Stocks】

In the EV sector, Tesla (TSLA) rose 3.80%, with Chinese EV startups NIO up 2.54%, Xpeng Motors (XPEV) up 2.29%, and Li Auto (LI) down 1.17%. Traditional automakers such as Toyota (TOYOF) and General Motors (GM) also performed well, rising 1.08% and 0.63%, respectively. Weight loss drug stocks mostly rose, with Eli Lilly (LLY) up 1.96% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) up 1.19%, driven by strong market demand for weight loss drugs. Oil stocks were mixed, with Exxon Mobil (XOM) slightly down 0.16% and Occidental Petroleum (OXY) down 0.40%, while Chevron (CVX) rose 0.36%. Digital currency stocks mostly fell, with Coinbase Global (COIN) down 2.61%, Microstrategy (MSTR) down 0.11%, and Riot Platforms (RIOT) down 1.95%. Among meme stocks, AMC Theatres (AMC) remained flat, while GameStop (GME) surged 8.88%, with investor sentiment still running high. Gold stocks were mixed, with Barrick Gold (GOLD) down 0.64% and Newmont (NEM) up 0.39%, as market sentiment fluctuated due to Federal Reserve rate cut expectations.

【Other Notable Sectors】

Retail stocks were mixed, with Walmart (WMT) up 1.06%, Costco (COST) up 0.65%, and Dollar General (DG) down 1.26%. Bank stocks mostly rose, with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) up 1.17%, Bank of America (BAC) up 1.44%, and Wells Fargo (WFC) up 1.95%. Vaccine stocks saw notable changes, with Novavax (NVAX) surging 8.60% after receiving FDA emergency approval for its updated COVID-19 vaccine.

【Market Summary and Investment Advice】

Overall, the U.S. stock market performed strongly, led by tech stocks, with various sectors also posting gains. Investors should continue to monitor tech stocks, particularly in the AI and chip sectors. The market's rising expectations for interest rate cuts could continue to support the stock market. Additionally, retail and banking sectors' performance is worth watching, and investors might consider opportunities in these areas. For higher-risk assets like gold and digital currencies, maintaining a cautious approach is advisable while waiting for clearer market sentiment.