The next week could prove crucial to Wall Street's optimistic outlook for stocks. ...

Core Viewpoint - The S&P 500 is on track for a record close, nearing the 7000 level, as positive economic news is positively impacting the stock market [1] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 rallied by 0.6% and is approaching a record close [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 213 points, or 0.4%, aiming for its fourth consecutive closing high [1] - The Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.8% [1] Employment Data - The January employment report indicated that the U.S. added 130,000 nonfarm jobs, significantly exceeding economists' expectations of 75,000 [1] - This positive employment data comes after a series of weaker-than-expected labor market reports, which had led to cautious sentiment on Wall Street [1]

Market Overview - The Australian Sharemarket saw a significant rally, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing at 9,014.80, up 147.40 points or 1.66%, marking a new 50-day high and the strongest close since late October 2025 [1][8] - The index has gained 0.97% over the last five days and is currently 1.10% off its 52-week high [2] Top Performers - AUSSIE BROADBAND LIMITED and AGL ENERGY LIMITED were the top performers, rising 14.79% and 11.75%, respectively [2][8] - Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) rose 6.8% after reporting record first-half cash earnings, contributing to a 3.8% increase in heavyweight financials [3][8] Notable Stock Movements - Evolution Mining Limited (EVN) gained $1.300 to close at $16.280, an increase of 8.678% [6] - James Hardie Industries plc (JHX) advanced from $3.630 to $36.870, up 10.920% [8] - Domino's Pizza Enterprises shares rose 2.9% following the appointment of former McDonald's executive Andrew Gregory as CEO [9] Decliners - CSL Limited experienced the steepest decline, falling from $20.200 to $163.440, a drop of 11.000% [6][8] - Biotech major CSL slumped 18.2% to an eight-year low due to CEO Paul McKenzie's departure and a significant drop in half-year profit, impacting healthcare stocks which fell as much as 6.2% [8][9] - ResMed Inc. (RMD) slipped $1.760 to $36.790, down 4.566% [6]

Market Overview - Futures are trading lower after a strong performance on Monday, with major indices showing continued strength from the previous Friday [2] - The Dow Jones closed at 50,135, the S&P 500 at 6,964 (up 0.47%), and the Nasdaq at 23,238 (up 0.90%) [2] - The Russell 2000 finished at 2,689, up 0.72%, driven by short covering and bargain hunting [2] Treasury Bonds - Treasury yields were modestly lower, with the 30-year bond closing at 4.85% and the 10-year note at 4.20% [3] - Traders are awaiting delayed economic data, including the January non-farm payrolls and consumer price index reports [3] Oil and Gas - Oil prices increased as hedge funds raised their exposure amid geopolitical concerns in Iran [4] - Brent Crude rose 1.56% to $69.11, while West Texas Intermediate increased 1.38% to $64.43 [4] - Natural gas prices fell 8.18% to $3.14, reflecting ongoing volatility [4] Gold and Precious Metals - Gold prices continued to rally, closing up 1.86% at $5,058, recovering above the $5,000 mark [5] - Silver also saw significant gains, closing at $83.25, up 7.15% [5] - Demand for safe-haven assets and central banks' appetite for precious metals are influencing market dynamics [5] Market Sentiment - The recent rally in the stock market may face challenges as delayed economic data is expected to impact sentiment [6] - Investors are advised to remain vigilant as the market may run out of momentum soon [6]

US stock futures struggled for gains on Tuesday after the Dow’s (^DJI) latest record close, as Wall Street's march back to record territory continued following last week's tech sell-off. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) hovered above the flatline, with fresh all-time highs within reach. Meanwhile, contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) and the Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) also crept into the green, looking to build on back-to-back closing wins. Investors appear to have regained confidence that tech stocks can ...

Stock Market Week: Mapping Out A Deeply Divided Rally| Investor's Business DailyBREAKING: [Dow Jones Tops 50,000, But Nasdaq Below Key Level]---A rough and tumble week of trading saw the Nasdaq rack up a fourth straight weekly loss and, despite Friday's brisk rally, end the week below support at its 10-week moving average for the first time since November. The S&P 500 posted another tight weekly finish, its third in a row, recovering once again to hold firm support at its…## Related news## Stock Market Rall ...

The stock market rallied powerfully Friday while the Dow Jones index hit new heights. The delayed jobs report and CPI inflation data looms. ...

Market Recovery - Hong Kong's housing market is showing signs of recovery, with home prices rising 3.25% in 2025, marking the first annual increase in four years [15] - The revival is supported by expectations for a strong fundraising year in the stock market, with international firms planning to open new branches in the city [15][1] - Mainland Chinese homebuyers have significantly contributed to clearing housing inventory, spending a record HK$138 billion in 2025, particularly in the luxury market [7][15] Residential Market Dynamics - Interest rate cuts have boosted mortgage demand and rising rents are encouraging residents to purchase homes [2][15] - Developers are regaining pricing power due to improved supply and demand dynamics, with some builders already planning to increase prices for existing projects [4][5] - Banks and property services firms anticipate residential price growth this year, with projections ranging from a 5% to a 10% increase [6][15] Commercial Real Estate Challenges - The commercial real estate market remains weak, with a vacancy rate for Grade A offices rising to 17.5% and rents falling by about 5.8% [9][15] - Investors are primarily focused on trophy assets in key business districts, while other areas struggle to attract tenants [9][10] - Commercial real estate transactions above HK$100 million increased by over 12% in 2025, the first rise since 2021, but international funds are largely absent from the market [11][12] Economic Influences - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's interest rate cuts have alleviated loan payment pressures for builders and homebuyers, stabilizing overall asset prices [6][15] - The influx of over 230,000 new arrivals due to the government's talent program has driven residential rents to record highs, making home ownership more attractive [14][16] - The ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and the US may pose risks to the recovery, with limited catalysts for a major rebound in the property market without improvements in economic relations [8][15]

Core Insights - The Nasdaq and small-cap stocks led a broad market rally, with the Nasdaq rising by 0.9% and the Russell 2000 index reaching a new high with a 0.7% increase [1][2] - The S&P 500 increased by 0.6%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 307 points, also a 0.6% gain, but did not reach its record high [2] Performance Highlights - The small-cap index has outperformed the S&P 500 for 14 consecutive days, marking the longest winning streak since May 1996 [2]

Market Overview - US stocks initially opened lower due to concerns about Federal Reserve independence amid attacks from the Trump administration, but later recovered with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 reaching new highs [2][4] - The S&P 500 Index closed up +0.16%, the Dow Jones closed up +0.17%, and the Nasdaq 100 closed up +0.08% [5] - European stocks also rose, with the Euro Stoxx 50 reaching an all-time high, and China's Shanghai Composite climbing to a 10.5-year high [3][8] Sector Performance - Data storage and chip makers led the market rally, with Western Digital up more than +6% and Seagate Technology up more than +5% [13] - Mining stocks surged as gold and silver prices hit all-time highs, with Hecla Mining up more than +8% and Coeur Mining up more than +5% [14] - Credit card companies and bank stocks declined after President Trump announced a potential cap on interest rates, with Synchrony Financial down more than -8% [15] Economic Indicators - The market is focused on upcoming economic news, including CPI and PPI data, with December CPI expected to remain at +2.7% year-over-year [6] - Q4 earnings season is set to begin, with S&P earnings growth projected to increase by +8.4%, excluding major tech stocks which are expected to grow by +4.6% [7] Interest Rates - The 10-year T-note yield rose to a one-month high of 4.205% amid concerns about Fed independence and rising inflation expectations [9][10] - European government bond yields fell, with the 10-year German bund yield down to 2.841% [12]