The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices closed at record highs on Wednesday, buoyed by strong performances from Nvidia and power equipment manufacturer GE Vernova, amid signs of a potential US-European Union trade agreement reminiscent of a prior US-Japan deal.
Diplomatic sources suggest the prospective agreement may introduce a 15% tariff on European Union imports, possibly including vehicles, echoing the framework established between the U.S. and Japan.
The S&P 500 rose 0.78% to finish at 6,358.91 points, while the Nasdaq climbed 0.61% to 21,020.02 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.14%, closing at 45,010.29 points, just shy of its 4 December record.
Shares of GE Vernova surged 14.6% to an all-time high after the company raised its revenue and free cash flow forecasts, beating second-quarter earnings expectations. The firm has now gained over 80% in 2025, driven by soaring electricity demand from Artificial Intelligence and cryptocurrency data centres.
Meanwhile, AI chip giant Nvidia advanced 2.25%, significantly contributing to the upward momentum in both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
Tesla shares edged up 0.14% ahead of its earnings report, due after market close. Analysts anticipate a sharp decline in revenue due to intensifying competition, a limited new model line-up, and a consumer backlash against CEO Elon Musk.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, saw its stock slip 0.58%, also poised to release quarterly results after trading hours.
Texas Instruments dropped 13% following a disappointing earnings outlook, citing softer demand and tariff-related uncertainty. The report weighed on the broader analogue chip segment, pulling down shares of NXP Semiconductors, Analog Devices, and ON Semiconductor by between 1% and 4.6%.
U.S. existing home sales declined more than expected in June. Markets now await weekly jobless claims and S&P Global’s flash PMI figures for further insight into the economic landscape amid ongoing trade tensions.
Following last week’s mixed economic indicators, traders have largely ruled out an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve at next week’s meeting. According to the CME FedWatch tool, the likelihood of a rate reduction in September is currently around 58%.
Advancing issues in the S&P 500 outpaced decliners by a 2.1-to-1 ratio. The index posted 50 new highs and 2 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 96 new highs and 20 new lows.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that his party will introduce a bill to ban children under 16 from using social media. ...
Russia reported a major fire at an Ozon logistics hub in Krasnodar after a drone attack on Monday, while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelens...
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for a wartime election, arguing that holding a vote while Russia's full-scale invasion continues would divide the country and undermine national unity.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have elevated bilateral ties with a Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 23 August. The leaders also agreed to expand trade, investment, transport, and regional cooperation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of August, covering the latest developments.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that his party will introduce a bill to ban children under 16 from using social media. The proposal would allow fines of up to 10 per cent of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.
Russia reported a major fire at an Ozon logistics hub in Krasnodar after a drone attack on Monday, while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied Kyiv’s official involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline blasts.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to begin negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
At least 30 people have been killed after a massive landfill collapsed onto homes in Guinea's capital, Conakry, following heavy overnight rainfall that triggered a deadly landslide of waste in one of the city's densely populated districts.
Canada has rejected a proposed trade agreement with the United States after negotiations broke down over what Ottawa described as a series of last-minute demands that would have disproportionately favoured Washington and undermined Canadian economic interests.
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