Technology and tech-related stocks resumed their leadership role on Tuesday amid a relatively calm, news-light Tuesday.
The New York Federal Reserve's Empire State Manufacturing Index jumped to a reading of 17 for September, versus expectations of just 6. (Any reading in positive territory indicates growth). And a Chinese health official said vaccines being developed there might be ready for general distribution as early as November.
The highest-profile gains could be found in the tech and communications sectors, with blue chips such as Facebook (FB, +2.4%), Qualcomm (QCOM, +2.8%) and Netflix (NFLX, +4.1%) all posting solid advances. That helped the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rally yet again, up 1.2% to 11,190.
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.
Other action in the stock market today:
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed most of its early gains, eking out a mere 2 points of progress to finish at 27,995.
- The S&P 500 gained 0.5% to 3,401.
- The Russell 2000 climbed just 1 point to 1,538.
An Uneven Market
Tuesday featured a few other trends worth paying attention to.
"Tech stocks continue to rebound, after last week's decline, but it's interesting to see strength in the real estate and utilities sectors, which are classic defensive sectors," says Andrew Smith, chief investment strategist for Dallas-based Delos Capital Advisors. "Some investors are betting on a robust tech rebound, while others are seeking safety.
"The real estate and utilities sectors also tend to perform well when investors expect interest rates to decline. Investors may be front-running the Fed's expected accommodative tone in Wednesday's meeting."
That's no wonder, given that many market experts (including Smith) predict volatility between here and the November elections.
Apple's Newest Products Fail to Excite
Also of note Tuesday was Apple (AAPL, +0.2%). The tech giant announced a number of new products and services, including new iPads, Apple Watches, a fitness service and "Apple One" bundles tying together several services for one price. However, Wall Street appears to be waiting for the main event.
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives called Tuesday's reveal "the drumroll to the main event likely slated for the first week in October in which we expect Cook & Co. to officially unveil its linchpin iPhone 12 product cycle," which many expect will be Apple's first entry in the 5G foray.
While 5G communications technology is still in the early stages, it's among several other tech trends, such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence, that are positioned to blossom in the years ahead. But which stocks are right to capture this opportunity? We look at seven of the best 5G stocks, including chipmakers, consumer plays and even real estate.
Kyle Woodley was long FB as of this writing.
-
Ten Cheapest Places to Live in TexasProperty Tax Looking for a cheap place to live in Texas? Look no further. These counties have the lowest property tax bills in the Lone Star State.
-
AI Is Missing the Wisdom of Older Adults: What It Means for YouAI will increasingly affect your healthcare and finances, but young workers are primarily designing the systems and getting most of the jobs.
-
Stock Market Today: Rally Extends on Good-Enough ExpectationsFiscal policy still has markets' attention, but taxes rather than tariffs and deficits rather than inflation are participants' primary focus.
-
Stock Market Today: "Good Trump" Gives Dow 740-Point BoostFriday's headwind was Tuesday's tailwind, as President Trump's social media posts continue to drag and drive financial markets.
-
A Case Study in Mismatched Fund ReturnsStock Market Why do a fund's returns sometimes differ from its underlying index? A longstanding legal principle holds the key.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Drop as Trump Takes Aim at EU, AppleThe commander in chief issued new tariff threats against the European Union and the iPhone maker.
-
My Three-Day Rule for Investing: And If it Applies NowStock Market I've seen a lot in my career. Here's what I see now in the stock market.
-
Is It Time to Invest in Europe?Stock Market Europe is being shaken out of its lethargy, militarily and otherwise, by Donald Trump's changes in U.S. policy. Should investors start buying?
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Gains 1,160 Points on U.S.-China Trade DealThe two countries agreed to a 90-day truce that will give them time to work on more substantive trade negotiations.
-
Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Dow Snap Win StreaksBerkshire Hathaway shares tumbled after Warren Buffett said he'll step down as CEO of the holding company at the end of the year.
