At midday, the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.08%) had risen 0.20% to 7,615.12, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.06%) added 0.20% to 27,140.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.35%) gained 0.23% to 51,194.70 as AI strength offset Middle East uncertainty.
Market movers
Marvell Technology surged almost 30% this morning after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called it the “next trillion-dollar company.” Alphabet slid on an $80 billion stock-sale plan. Hewlett Packard Enterprise soared following strong earnings and a full-year guidance raise. Shopify slipped, ending its recent winning streak.
What this means for investors
Major U.S. indexes pushed upwards this morning with tech gains again tempered by tensions in the Middle East and continued oil supply disruptions. As the S&P 500 continues its record-breaking rally, there’s growing investor caution around stretched positions, artificial intelligence (AI) spending and overvaluations.
Alphabet’s surprise $80 billion equity offering dominated the news, in part because it is the largest Wall Street has seen. The stock dropped amid concerns about dilution and broader AI capex questions. On the flip side, Alphabet’s confidence in continued AI demand and Berkshire Hathaway’s $10 billion participation could both be positive signs.
Yesterday, Wall Street seemed to soften on software stocks, which erased some of their recent losses, but today AI replacement fears are back with a vengeance. Atlassian , ServiceNow, and Salesforce all tumbled. This type of whipsaw trading shows the importance of keeping a long-term perspective and focusing on fundamentals. While AI will likely replace some services, other software stocks could thrive.
Emma Newbery has positions in Atlassian and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Atlassian, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Marvell Technology, Nvidia, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
