News

Stock market today: Wall Street steadies itself a day after a sell-off for Nvidia and tech stocks

Nvidia and other U.S. tech stocks are holding a bit steadier Tuesday, a day after tumbling on doubts about whether the artificial-intelligence frenzy really needs all the dollars being poured into it. The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in morning trading. The spotlight remains on Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the move into AI and whose stock has become a symbol of the surrounding frenzy.

S&P 500 choppy as megacap gains counter broader weakness

The S&P 500 swung between gains and losses on Tuesday as advancing megacap stocks including Apple helped arrest declines even as a mixed bag of corporate earnings fueled volatility. At 10:02 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.93 points, or 0.01%, to 44,717.51, the S&P 500 gained 6.97 points, or 0.12%, to 6,019.42 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 105.38 points, or 0.54%, to 19,447.21. Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sectors were in the red, with utilities and industrials leading declines.

GM results top Wall Street targets; shares slump as tariff threat looms

DETROIT (Reuters) -General Motors on Tuesday posted fourth-quarter 2024 results and a 2025 earnings forecast ahead of Wall Street expectations, but shares fell sharply in trading Tuesday as investors weighed the threat of tariffs that could hit the automaker's business. GM is one of the automakers most exposed to Trump's plans on two important fronts: EVs, where it has made aggressive investments, and tariffs, because it has substantial manufacturing in Mexico and Canada, countries that Trump is targeting.

Analysis-US tech and tariff shocks spark scramble for new market havens

As a tech stock rout and U.S. dollar swings driven by President Donald Trump's tariff threats send markets into a tailspin, investors are piling into assets from Japan's yen to European credit that could act as a buffer to the turbulence. Markets that cheered Trump's pro-growth agenda have turned bumpy, with oil prices and Canada and Mexico's currencies gyrating, muddled inflation forecasts shaking Treasuries and investors starting to view the new White House as a source of risk. "There will likely be more volatility in the U.S. dollar and across many other assets," said Amelie Derambure, senior multi-asset manager at Europe's biggest investor Amundi.

Bank lending prospects among key inputs for policymakers at Fed meeting

Credit data likely to be considered at a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting that begins on Tuesday may show pumps primed for increased bank lending, even as the prospect for gains is complicated by a highly uncertain economic environment and still-daunting borrowing costs tied to central bank policy. Fed officials are almost certain to leave the U.S. central bank's benchmark interest rate steady in the 4.25%-4.50% range on Wednesday as they start weighing how the Trump administration's economic agenda may affect sticky inflation and solid growth trends. Understanding the state of bank lending is key in that effort.

Bridgewater sees short-term correction for tech stocks but bullish on DeepSeek impact

Hedge fund manager Bridgewater Associates said Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of its latest artificial intelligence (AI) models could lead to a short-term correction in many tech companies' share prices but is positive for the industry. The comments come amid a tech stocks sell-off prompted by the release of a free AI assistant launched by DeepSeek last week that the startup said uses less data at a fraction of the cost of services currently available. DeepSeek's AI Assistant has overtaken rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application available on Apple's App Store in the United States, raising doubts about the reasoning behind some U.S. tech companies' decision to pledge billions of dollars in AI investment.

Oil prices bounce back from multi-week lows on Libya supply disruption

(Reuters) -Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday from multi-week lows as disruption to Libyan oil loading operations offset fears of weaker demand linked to soft economic data from China and rising temperatures elsewhere. Brent crude oil futures were up 91 cents, or 1.2%, at $77.99 per barrel at 1417 GMT. Brent settled on Monday at its lowest since Jan. 9, while WTI hit its lowest since Jan. 2.