Stock Market Today (LIVE): Stocks Rally on Trump Exit Signal as Iranian Tanker Strike Sends Crude Back Above $117

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Nvidia’s $2B Marvell Bet Sparks 8% Pop

10:30 am — MRVL +7.6%

Shares of Marvell Technology (MRVL +7.94%) surged 8% Tuesday after Nvidia (NVDA +3.27%) announced a $2 billion investment to accelerate AI infrastructure. CEO Jensen Huang characterized the deal as an “expansion of our ecosystem,” specifically targeting the semi-custom ASIC market used by hyperscalers. This follows a string of identical $2 billion bets by Nvidia on firms like Synopsys (SNPS +2.56%), Coherent (COHR +3.51%), and Lumentum (LITE +2.44%). The partnership focuses on silicon photonics and telecommunications, providing Marvell with a massive capital infusion to “turbo-charge” its 2027 revenue outlook despite ongoing Middle East tensions.

• The ASIC Power Play: By aligning with Marvell, Nvidia is effectively colonizing the custom chip space, ensuring its architecture remains the foundation even as cloud giants attempt to design their own specialized silicon.
• Network Effect Dominance: This investment spree creates a formidable moat; as Nvidia embeds its capital into every layer of the AI stack — from optical components to cloud providers — it becomes nearly impossible for competitors to displace.

Top of the Morning

9:45 am — MCK +0.5%, UL -3.4%

McCormick (MKC 5.81%) and Unilever (UL 6.35%) appear to be on the verge of finalizing what would be one of the largest deals in consumer staples history. Unilever confirmed this morning that it is in advanced discussions to combine its Foods division with McCormick in a transaction that could be announced as early as today. The deal would give Unilever nearly $16 billion in upfront cash and a 65% stake in the combined entity, which analysts estimate could be valued north of $46 billion. This comes after prior talks with Kraft Heinz over a similar combination reportedly fell through earlier this year, making McCormick the presumed backup bidder.

The question investors should be asking is not whether the deal makes strategic sense for Unilever. It clearly does.

Opening Bell

9:35 am — MSFT +2.1%, NVDA +2.2%

The Dow surged nearly 500 points Tuesday following reports that President Trump may end military hostilities even if the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq followed suit, gaining 1.2% and 1.4% respectively as tech giants Microsoft (MSFT +1.47%) and Nvidia (NVDA +3.27%) led a broad rebound. Despite the optimism, Brent crude futures spiked 4% to $117 after an Iranian strike on a Kuwaiti tanker. While March is on track for its worst performance since 2022, analysts suggest this 10% pullback is a “normal” reset required for long-term equity returns.

This article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool’s insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. Emily Flippen, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Coherent, Lumentum, Marvell Technology, McCormick, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Synopsys. The Motley Fool recommends Unilever. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.