Wall Street Extends Gains as Rate Cut Hopes Fuel Afternoon Rally, Tech Leads the Charge

Market Overview - U.S. equities continued to rise, with major indexes extending a multi-day winning streak, driven by optimism for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December and dovish economic data releases [1][8] - The Nasdaq Composite led the gains, climbing 1%, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9% each, marking their fourth consecutive day of gains [2][3] Economic Indicators - Expectations for a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve in December are high, with probabilities around 80-85%, supported by weaker-than-expected economic data [3][6] - Recent economic data included a decline in September retail sales, a softer Producer Price Index (PPI), decreased consumer confidence, and a drop in private payrolls [3] Sector Performance - Technology stocks were the primary drivers of the market rally, with the "Magnificent Seven" technology stocks significantly contributing to the overall market performance [4] - The Health Care Select Sector SPDR and Consumer Discretionary Select SPDR also performed well, gaining 2.3% and 2.1% respectively, while the housing sector benefited from a decline in Treasury yields [4] Corporate News and Stock Highlights - Apple shares rose about 1% as it is expected to surpass Samsung in global smartphone shipments for the first time in 14 years [7] - Dell Technologies surged 6-6.4% after announcing record orders for its AI servers, indicating strong demand in the AI infrastructure space [11] - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) rose approximately 3.5%, while Broadcom gained about 3% [11] - Nvidia experienced a significant drop of 2.6-3.9% on Tuesday but rebounded slightly on Wednesday, facing increased competition in the AI chip market [11] - Urban Outfitters soared between 10% and 12.1% after reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly results, while Workday sank 9% despite positive earnings [11] - Petco surged 19.8% after raising its fiscal year earnings outlook, and Robinhood Markets jumped 10.7% following plans to launch a futures and derivatives exchange [11]