US stocks opened the week on a mixed note on Monday, October 19, with technology shares rebounding after last week’s sell-off as investors turned their attention to a busy earnings calendar, including results from Tesla and Meta Platforms later this week.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 1%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.5% shortly after the opening bell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 63 points, or around 0.1%.
The recovery in technology stocks comes after all three major US indices ended lower on Friday. The Nasdaq Composite recorded its worst weekly performance since June, while the S&P 500 fell nearly 2% over the week.
Tech stocks rebound; Nvidia, AMD edge higher
Semiconductor stocks traded higher, led by gains in Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), as investors returned to technology shares following last week’s decline driven by concerns around artificial intelligence-related financing.
Shares of CoreWeave, the Nvidia-backed cloud infrastructure provider, also advanced after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy. The shares had plunged 25% last week amid concerns over financing for AI infrastructure investments.
Intel also drew attention after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to Neutral from Underweight, while retaining its price target of $85. Analyst Harlan Sur said the risk-reward profile had improved as the stock approached the bank’s target, following a 36% decline from its late-June peak.
However, the upgrade suggested a more balanced outlook rather than a strong bullish view on the chipmaker.
Tesla, Meta earnings in focus
Investors are looking ahead to quarterly results from major companies this week for fresh signals on corporate performance and the outlook for technology stocks.
Tesla is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, following the unveiling of a redesigned Roadster last week. Meta Platforms is also set to announce its results on the same day.
Netflix will report earnings after the market closes on Tuesday, adding to a packed week of results from major US companies.
Oil prices ease
Crude oil prices traded lower on Monday, with Brent futures falling more than 1% to around $108 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was also down around 1%, trading near $100 per barrel.
Investors will continue to monitor oil prices alongside corporate earnings and developments in the technology sector as markets attempt to recover from last week’s losses.
US stock futures edge higher as AI stocks recover from weekly losses
US stock futures rose early Monday, October 19, led by a rebound in technology stocks as investors looked to buy the dip following last week’s sell-off in artificial intelligence-linked shares.
Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 1.1%, while S&P 500 futures advanced 0.5%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded marginally lower.
Intel shares gained more than 4% in premarket trading after JPMorgan analysts upgraded their rating on the chipmaker. CoreWeave, which plunged more than 25% last week amid concerns over its debt levels, rose 3%. AMD and Micron Technology also advanced more than 2% each.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said he plans to give one share of the space exploration company to every child in the US next year, potentially giving them a financial stake in the future of space technology. “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX (SPCX) shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many,” Musk said in a post on X on Monday. He did not specify an age range for the proposed gift. SpaceX shares rose 1% in premarket trading on Monday.
European markets fall, Asian equities mixed
European stocks traded lower, with the Stoxx 600 declining 0.82%. France’s CAC 40 led losses, falling 1.35%, amid concerns following violent demonstrations over the cost of living during the weekend. The UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.94%, while Germany’s DAX lost 1.1%.
Asian markets were mixed. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.76%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.44%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.62% lower, while mainland China’s CSI 300 ended largely unchanged at 4,174.53.
US Treasury yields edge lower
US Treasury yields declined on Monday as investors weighed the domestic inflation and interest rate outlook against broader geopolitical risks.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note fell more than one basis point to 5.0854%. The 30-year Treasury yield also slipped one basis point to 5.4242%.
Meanwhile, the two-year Treasury yield, which is more sensitive to expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, was broadly unchanged at 4.7315%.