- US stocks ticked higher as traders looked to kick off the second half of the year,
- The market is adding to a strong performance in the first half, with the S&P 500 up 14% year-to-date.
- Investors are waiting for the June jobs report to roll out on Friday, which could shape the outlook for rate cuts.
US stocks surged on Monday as traders looked ahead to fresh jobs data at the end of the holiday-shortened week.
Major indexes rose to add to gains from the already strong first half of 2024, while bond yields also ticked higher.
Stocks finished off the first half of the year up big, with the S&P 500 up 14% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite up 18%. That's due to bullish expectations for rate cuts in 2024, as well as resilience in the tech sector, with stocks like Nvidia still dominating the market amid continued hype for AI.
The 10-year Treasury yield jumped nine basis points to 4.441%.
Traders are eyeing the June jobs report to roll out on Friday, which should give some insight into the strength of the economy and the outlook for Fed rate cuts this year. Economists expect the economy to have added 190,000 jobs in the last month, down from 272,000 jobs added in May.
"According to the CME FedWatch Tool, there is a 64.3% chance that the Fed will cut rates for the first time in over a year at the September 18 meeting," Art Hogan, the chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth said in a note on Monday.
"We agree with that assumption, as we think the disinflationary trend has accelerated in the second quarter enough to give the Fed the green light."
Chewy stock jumped as retail trader icon Keith Gill disclosed a $245 million stake in the pet care company, founded by the CEO of Gill's other well-known portfolio position, GameStop.
Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Monday:
- S&P 500: 5,476.43, up 0.28%
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: 39,366.12, up 0.63% (+243.37 points)
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Nasdaq composite: 17,760.18, up 0.16%
Here's what else is going on today:
- The big winners of the AI race are the most boring companies out there.
- Russia has made getting a divorce way more expensive to fund its war efforts.
- Apple finally got some good news in China as iPhone shipments surge.
In commodities, bonds, and crypto:
- West Texas Intermediate crude oil ticked higher 0.80% to $82.19 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 0.86% to $85.72 a barrel.
- Gold inched higher 0.10% to $2,328 per ounce.
- The 10-year Treasury yield spiked nine basis points to 4.441%.
- Bitcoin rose 2.24% to $62,770.
