US markets today: Stocks rise led by Nvidia and AI gains; volatility keeps investors cautious

Group 1: Technology Sector - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reported a larger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, with CFO Wendell Huang anticipating "continued strong demand for our leading-edge process technologies" through the end of the year [4][6] - TSMC's Taiwan-listed shares climbed 1.4%, while its US-listed stock slipped 0.2% [4][6] - Nvidia rose 1.3%, becoming the top contributor to the S&P 500 rally, reflecting its status as Wall Street's most valuable stock [4][6] - Analysts have drawn comparisons between the surge in AI stocks and the dot-com bubble of 2000, despite high inflation and a slowing job market [4][6] - Salesforce's stock jumped 8% after announcing plans for over 10% compounded annual revenue growth in the coming years [4][6] - J.B. Hunt Transport Services soared 17.3% after exceeding third-quarter profit expectations [6] Group 2: Global Market Trends - Global markets experienced broad gains, with South Korea's Kospi surging 2.5% amid optimism over a potential US-Seoul trade deal, led by Samsung Electronics and automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia [5][6] - Chinese indexes saw a slight increase of 0.1% in Shanghai but fell 0.1% in Hong Kong due to ongoing trade tensions with the US [5][6] - The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 4.04% from 4.05% late Wednesday [5][6] - A report indicated unexpected contraction in manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region, providing a limited view of economic conditions as the Federal Reserve balances inflation with a slowing labor market [5][6] - Market updates have been disrupted by the US government shutdown, delaying key economic releases such as weekly unemployment claims and inflation data [5][6]