Updated 2 min read
US stocks moved higher on Friday after retreating from record highs, as data-starved investors waited for a reprieve from the government shutdown that stretched into a 10th day.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) added 0.2%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) nudged up more than 0.1%.
Markets have had an uncertain week, pulled in different directions by AI demand hopes and US government shutdown worries. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite look set for small weekly wins in morning trading Friday, while the Dow is eyeing a decline.
Gains for Nvidia (NVDA) have helped spare Wall Street gauges from an even deeper drop. The AI bellwether is poised on Friday to build on the previous day’s all-time high, even as China cracks down on its chips. Optimism for AI demand got a boost as Applied Digital (APLD) posted a quarterly revenue beat, fueling a 30% surge in the data center developer’s stock.
Gold (GC=F) rose to above $4,000 an ounce, recovering from a dip in earlier morning trade to return to rally mode. The hunt for havens also lifted silver (SI=F), which jumped for a second day as it continued to outpace gold’s gains.
The ongoing shutdown has weighed on spirits as it delays the release of official economic data watched closely by Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. That said, cracks in Republican resolve are appearing, raising the chances of an end to the political gridlock and funding stoppage.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labour Statistics has recalled furloughed staff to prepare the September edition of the Consumer Price Index — a key indicator of inflation — for release by the end of October, Bloomberg reported. The CPI update was originally due next week, on Oct. 15.
Any private data is still in focus while the data void persists, and the University of Michigan’s reading on consumer sentiment in October is likely to grab attention on Friday morning. Investors are looking for reasons to reset expectations for two Fed interest-rate cuts this year.
After recent days’ flurry of third-quarter results, investors are counting down for earnings season to start in earnest next week, led out by JPMorgan (JPM) and Citigroup (C). Performance is expected to be softer, with analysts betting tariffs will bite into revenue for the quarter.
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Stocks creep higher at the open
US stocks inched higher on Friday at the market open.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) moved up more than 0.2%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) nudged up over 0.1%.
The slight gains come after the Nasdaq and S&P 500 retreated from record highs Thursday amid an ongoing US government shutdown. The two major gauges were set for weekly gains Friday morning, while the Dow was on track for a weekly loss.
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Delta’s premium play pays off
The key takeaway from Delta’s (DAL) strong performance this quarter is that it pays to go premium. The airline’s stock rose 0.5% in premarket trading on Friday after popping more than 4% on the heels of its earnings release on Thursday.
As Yahoo Finance’s Hamza Shaban writes in today’s Morning Brief newsletter:
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Chart: About 90% of public fixed income has yields below 5%
Apollo Global chief economist Torsten Sløk pointed out in a note on Friday that almost 90% of public fixed income worldwide is trading at a yield below 5%. (Disclosure: Yahoo Finance is owned by Apollo Global Management.)
“With inflation at 3%, the real return for investors in public fixed income is a meager 2% or less,” Sløk wrote.
US Treasury yields fell on Friday as the government shutdown delayed economic data that might otherwise move bond prices. The 10-year yield (^TNX) declined by 5 basis points to 4.09%. The 30-year yield (^TYX) dropped to 4.67%.
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Good morning. Here’s what’s happening today.
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Premarket trending tickers: Intel, Elastic, and American Homes 4 Rent
Here’s a look at some of the top stocks trending in premarket trading:
Intel (INTC) stock rose almost 2% before the bell on Friday. Intel unveiled its new Core Ultra series 3 processor on Thursday, the first chip built on its 18A process technology and manufactured at the new Fab 52 plant.
Elastic (ESTC) stock rose 10% in premarket trading on Friday. Bank of America (BAC) recently cut their price target for Elastic, citing tougher competition for AI workloads, which could crimp growth.
American Homes 4 Rent (AMH) shares rose 9% before the bell. Over the past month, its share price has fallen 6% and is down 13% year-to-date.
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Qualcomm stock falls as China launch antitrust probe
Qualcomm (QCOM) stock fell more than 3% before the bell on Friday following news that China has launched an antitrust investigation into the US chipmaker over its acquisition of Israel’s Autotalks.
Reuters reports:
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Applied Digital stock soars after revenue beat, CoreWeave deal
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Levi Strauss’s boosted FY profit outlook fails to meet the mark
Levi Strauss (LEVI) lifted its full-year profit forecast on Thursday, but the outlook fell short of Wall Street expectations.
Shares in the denim maker sank almost 7% in premarket as the impact of US tariffs weighed on prospects, even as the company posted a third quarter revenue beat.
Reuters reports:
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Oil drops as Gaza ceasefire leads to positive outlook for supply
Bloomberg reports:
![i’m-nervous,-too!-[part-2]](https://10xwealthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/177042-im-nervous-too-part-2-1568x784.jpg)
