Tech-Led Rally Propels Markets to New Highs as Earnings Season Heats Up

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market had a strong start on October 20, 2025, with major indexes rising over 1%, driven by a rally in the technology sector and positive corporate earnings outlook [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased by over 450 points, closing at 46,587.56, contributing to an 8.7% year-to-date gain [2] - The S&P 500 advanced by 1.03% to 1.19%, nearing its all-time high, with a year-to-date gain of 14.8% [3] - The Nasdaq Composite led the gains with a rally of 1.39% to 1.52%, reflecting strong investor confidence in growth sectors, especially in artificial intelligence [4] Key Market Drivers - A report from Counterpoint Research highlighted strong demand for Apple's new iPhone 17 series, boosting optimism in the technology sector [5] - Analysts expect a 9.3% year-on-year growth in third-quarter S&P 500 earnings, an improvement over previous estimates [5] Major Stock News - Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares surged approximately 4.5% to an all-time high of $262.79, driven by strong sales of the iPhone 17, which outsold the iPhone 16 by 14% in its first ten days [6] - Amazon (AMZN) shares rose 1.6% after recovering from losses due to a cloud-computing outage [7] - Tesla (TSLA) closed up 1.9% ahead of its third-quarter earnings report [7] - Semiconductor stocks saw significant gains, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index reaching an all-time high [8] Notable Movements - Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) shares jumped 24% following news of a potential deal with a major steel producer [9] - WeightWatchers (WW) surged 9.6% after announcing a partnership with Amazon for weight-loss drug delivery [9] - AMD (AMD) continued its strong performance, with shares up $8.88 after positive analyst ratings [10] Upcoming Market Events - Over 80 S&P 500 companies are expected to report earnings this week, including notable companies like Netflix, Tesla, and Coca-Cola [11] - The delayed U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data is set to be released on October 24, which will be closely monitored for inflation implications [12]