S&P 500 flirts with record high; chipmakers and small caps jump

Market Performance - The S&P 500 rose 0.54% to close at 6,976.44 points, nearing its record high of 6,978.60 [7][10] - The Nasdaq gained 0.56% to 23,592.11 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.05% to 49,407.66 points [10] - The S&P 500 experienced its first gain in three sessions, driven by gains in chipmakers and AI-related companies [9][10] Company Highlights - Alphabet's stock increased by 1.9% to a record high, and Amazon's stock rose by 1.5%, with both companies set to report quarterly results soon [1][9] - SanDisk surged 15.4%, Advanced Micro Devices rose 4%, and Micron Technology added 5.5%, benefiting from AI-related demand [1][9] - Walt Disney's stock fell 7.4% despite exceeding quarterly earnings expectations, due to warnings about declining international visitors and earnings slumps in its TV and film division [6][10] Economic Indicators - Analysts project S&P 500 companies' earnings to grow nearly 11% in the December quarter, up from an initial estimate of about 9% [6] - U.S. factory activity showed growth for the first time in a year in January, according to PMI data [8][10] - The CBOE VIX, a volatility index, decreased by 1 point to 16.5, indicating reduced market fear [8][10] Small-Cap Stocks - The Russell 2000 index rose about 1%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in 2026, reflecting investor confidence in the economy [2][9] - Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones in the S&P 500 by a ratio of 1.4-to-one, with 30 new highs and 9 new lows recorded [9][10]