Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Stellar Q2 With a Flourish
A late Tuesday run sent the Dow to its best quarterly finish since 1987, the Nasdaq's top quarter since 2001, and the S&P 500's best Q2 since the index's creation in 1957.
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Newsletter sign up Newsletter

It's difficult to cast these past three months in a positive light given the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, but, for the stock market, Q2 was in fact a quarter to remember.
A day of gains for tech- and tech-adjacent sectors led the major blue-chip indices to higher ground, capping their best quarterly performances in years.
Tuesday's gains came on little to crow about, mind you.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Joint testimony from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell painted a mixed picture of America's economic recuperation. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-diseases expert, said America's daily coronavirus caseload could hit 100,000 if current trends continue, warning that America isn't "in total control" of the pandemic.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq, led by the likes of Amazon.com (AMZN (opens in new tab), +2.9%) and Nvidia (NVDA (opens in new tab), +3.2%), still pushed 1.9% higher to 10,058, capping a 30.6% three-month gain that marked its most productive quarter since 2001.
The Dow, which closed with a 0.9% gain to 25,812, enjoyed its best quarter since 1987 with a 17.8% rally. And the S&P 500, up 1.5% to 3,100, posted a 20.0% quarterly return for its best Q2 since the index's inception in 1957. The small-cap Russell 2000 climbed 1.4% to 1,441, its best quarter since 1991.
What's in Store for Stocks in Q3?
Mercifully, investors will get a day off early in the quarter. The stock and bond markets will be closed Friday in observation of Independence Day, as July 4 falls on a Saturday this year.
More broadly speaking, we enter Q3 in a much different place than we entered Q2 … but in a nonetheless similar scenario.
While stocks are in the middle of a heater, as opposed to in the midst of the quickest bear-market decline in U.S. history, the American economic horizon appears every bit as foggy now as it did three months ago.
How quickly will jobs return? Will Congress pass another round of stimulus? How will the evolving presidential race weigh on or prop up the stock market? Will we take the upper hand against COVID-19? These are just a few of the questions that, when answered, could take stocks for another wild ride between now and the end of September.
Wells Fargo Investment Institute analysts are somewhat optimistic, writing that "We expect a moderate recovery following a strong, third-quarter start" in a recent note to clients. However, "while the U.S. economy appears poised to recover, the timing remains unclear, and the path likely will be full of twists and turns."
Some investors might do well just to stuff their money into solid long-term holdings and wait it out. For some, that means highly rated blue-chip stocks (opens in new tab) and diversified funds with wallet-friendly fees.
For others with speculative money to spare, however, it's a chance to try to capture many of the wild swings that have peppered the stock market in 2020. Growth stocks in general (opens in new tab) might be enough to satisfy those whims, but some prefer to delve into Wall Street's figurative "bargain bin."
While cheap stocks with single-digit prices are a source of sky-high risk, these opportunities can nonetheless add alpha when traded in small amounts as part of a diversified strategy with strong core investments. These five names in particular have their blemishes, but each has the kind of potential that attracts the stock market's thrill seekers.
Kyle Woodley was long AMZN as of this writing.
Kyle Woodley is the Editor-in-Chief of Young and The Invested (opens in new tab), a site dedicated to improving the personal finances and financial literacy of parents and children. He also writes the weekly The Weekend Tea (opens in new tab) newsletter, which covers both news and analysis about spending, saving, investing, the economy and more.
Kyle was previously the Senior Investing Editor for Kiplinger.com, and the Managing Editor for InvestorPlace.com before that. His work has appeared in several outlets, including Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Barchart, The Globe & Mail and the Nasdaq. He also has appeared as a guest on Fox Business Network and Money Radio, among other shows and podcasts, and he has been quoted in several outlets, including MarketWatch, Vice and Univision. He is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a BA in journalism.
You can check out his thoughts on the markets (and more) at @KyleWoodley (opens in new tab).
-
-
Is Retirement in 2023 Still Possible?
Yes, it is, if you have a customized plan specific to your retirement. If you do, you’re in the minority, though, so here are some ways to develop that plan.
By Nicholas J. Toman, CFP® • Published
-
Top Money Market Accounts 2023
Money market accounts are interest-bearing accounts at a bank or credit union, typically paying high interest rates. Here are the best right now.
By Erin Bendig • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Brush Off Deutsche Bank Troubles
Troubling financial sector headlines kept stocks lower for most of the day, but the major indexes pushed higher by the close.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Higher in Volatile Session
The major indexes spent most of Thursday in rally mode, but selling pressure emerged in afternoon trading.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Amazon Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Amazon AMZN stock has lost almost $900 billion in value since its all-time high, but bulls say it's only a matter of time before it reclaims its heights.
By Dan Burrows • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Sink After Latest Fed Rate Hike
The major indexes sold off sharply Wednesday even amid signs the Fed's rate-hike campaign could be nearing an end.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Up Again as Bank, Energy Stocks Outperform
The major indexes closed higher for a second straight day ahead of tomorrow's highly anticipated Fed decision.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rise Ahead of Fed
Bank headlines dominated another choppy day of trading on Wall Street.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Fall After First Republic Bank Suspends Dividend
The embattled lender's dividend cut was just the latest sign of instability in the banking industry.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally on Credit Suisse, First Republic Bank Rescue News
Reports that major U.S. banks would step in to help First Republic Bank helped stocks swing higher Thursday.
By Karee Venema • Published