Stock Market Today: Stock rally marches on with Nvidia earnings in focus

Published 3:43 am Monday, May 20, 2024

Check back for updates throughout the trading day

U.S. equity futures bumped higher Monday as investors looked to extend a run of four consecutive weekly gains for the S&P 500 heading into a key stretch of earnings reports — highlighted by Nvidia’s fiscal-first-quarter update Wednesday — and Federal Reserve speakers. 

Stocks ended firmly higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 nudging its monthly advance to 6.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing north of the 40,000 point mark. Easing inflation data and a robust first-quarter-earnings season continue to power global equity markets.

With around 93% of the S&P 500 reporting, collective first-quarter profits are expected to rise 7.6% from a year earlier to $468.9 billion, with the second-quarter growth rate improving to around 10.5%.

Seventeen S&P 500 companies are expected to report first-quarter updates and near-term outlooks this week, including Nvidia  (NVDA) , Target  (TGT) , Lowe’s  (LOW) , Palo Alto Networks  (PANW)  and Nordstrom  (JWN) .

Wall Street will focus on Nvidia’s highly-anticipated first quarter earnings slated for after the close of trading on Wednesday.

Global oil prices were in focus in the overnight session following news of a helicopter crash in Iran on Sunday that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as well as the country’s foreign minister, triggering major leadership succession issues in the Islamic state.

Related: Nvidia earnings will be crucial to stock market zeitgeist this week

Brent crude contracts for July delivery, the global pricing benchmark, were last seen 21 cents lower at $83.76 per barrel while WTI contracts for June fell 7 cents to $79.99 per barrel.

In the bond market, benchmark Treasury yields were holding steady in the overnight session as investors looked to a series of coupon bond auctions, as well as minutes of the Fed’s May policy meeting, later in the week.

Benchmark 10-year note yields, which fell nearly 9 basis points last week following the softer-than-expected April inflation report, were last marked at 4.414% while -year notes held at 4.816%.

On Wall Street, futures contracts tied to the S&P 500, which is up 11.18% for the year, are priced for an 8-point opening-bell gain.

Futures tied to the Dow, meanwhile, are indicating a 17-point advance while the tech-focused Nasdaq, which is up 11.16% for the year, is priced for a modest 40 point bump.

Related: Analyst updates S&P 500 price target after CPI inflation surprise

Meme stocks GameStop  (GME)  and AMC Entertainment  (AMC)  were back on the move as the most active names in premarket trading. But their early gains were modest, 4% and 2.7% respectively, in comparison to their early surges last week.

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In overseas markets, Europe’s Stoxx 600 was marked 0.17% higher in early Frankfurt trading, and just a few points shy from its all-time high, while Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.26% in London ahead of a key inflation release later in the week.

Overnight in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 reclaimed the 39,000 point mark for the first time in over a month, thanks to a 0.73% gain to start the week, while the regionwide MSCI ex-Japan benchmark rose 0.3% into the close of trading.

Related: Single Best Trade: Wall Street veteran picks Palantir stock

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