The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was up 279.44 (0.57%) points today, at 49,453.94 with markets open. The primary narrative driving the session is intense anticipation for Nvidia (NVDA) earnings due after the bell, alongside a relief rally following President Trump’s State of the Union address. Investors are also reacting to strong ADP employment data, which showed private hiring at its fastest pace since late November, signaling a resilient labor market. Dow Futures (YM=F) was also up 258.00 (0.52%) points, reflecting broad optimism across the index.
International Business Machines (IBM) was up 4.19% to $238.93, leading gainers as analysts called yesterday’s plunge a buying opportunity. The recovery follows fears that Anthropic’s AI tools would disrupt legacy business. Other gainers include UnitedHealth Group (UNH), up 3.06% to $282.41 on dividend news, Salesforce (CRM), up 2.91% to $191.00, and Microsoft (MSFT), up 2.46% to $398.65. Nvidia (NVDA) also rose 2.02% to $196.79 as a key bellwether for the AI sector.
Conversely, Home Depot (HD) was down 2.42% to $375.34, weighed down by cautious housing commentary from Lowe’s. Other decliners include Sherwin-Williams (SHW), down 2.23% to $356.71, Boeing (BA), down 1.40% to $230.12, and Disney (DIS), down 1.30% to $104.67. Verizon (VZ) also fell 1.01% to $49.35. While the index trends higher, investors are rotating out of housing-sensitive stocks into high-growth tech and healthcare sectors ahead of further economic data.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.