Stock Market Today: Glimmer of Stimulus Hope Gives Stocks a Small Lift
Tuesday's rigid stimulus deadline seemingly blurred as House Democrats and the White House made progress toward a middle ground.


When is a deadline not a deadline? Apparently – and fortunately, for the stock market – when it relates to politicians passing a stimulus deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday walked back her comments setting a hard deadline of today to strike an agreement, but for reasons most investors could get behind. That is, Democrats and the White House are said to be nearing a middle ground in their negotiations, and Pelosi had a 3 p.m. talk set with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Also helping buoy spirits were a few strong results from the third-quarter earnings slate.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free 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.
Insurer Travelers (TRV, +5.6%) posted Street-beating profits despite higher-than-usual catastrophe losses. And Procter & Gamble (PG, +0.4%) enjoyed higher demand for cleaning and laundry products, which lifted the company's sales and earnings ahead of estimates.
"PG has been building momentum longer than most of its peers and well before Covid-19 hit, which is one reason we view PG as a post-pandemic winner," writes CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram, who rates PG shares at Buy. "Additionally, the investments PG has made in its brands, capabilities, and organization are just beginning to pay off and should manifest into more market share gains."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.4% to 28,308, while the S&P 500 (+0.5% to 3,443) and Nasdaq (+0.3% to 11,516) also headed to higher ground.
Other action in the stock market today:
- The S&P 500 gained 0.5% to 3,443.
- The Nasdaq Composite improved by 0.3% to 11,516
- The Russell 2000 finished 0.3% higher to 1,618.
- The Justice Department on Tuesday sued Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google division, filing a 57-page complaint accusing the search giant of violating federal antitrust laws to protect its wide lead in online search. It seemingly had little effect on shares, which gained 1.4%.
What About That Long-Rumored Infrastructure Week?
We mentioned yesterday that, broadly speaking, experts expect a next round of stimulus is likely a matter of when, not if.
"Overall, September's employment report, combined with ongoing virus concerns, should signal to political leaders that the fragile recovery requires additional stimulus as a means to support the labor market," says Charlie Ripley, Senior Investment Strategist for Allianz Investment Management.
But UBS, in a note upgrading its price target on Caterpillar (CAT, +0.9%), from $130 per share to $180, says it has its eye on a particular type of spending: infrastructure.
"We think the increased likelihood of a major infrastructure stimulus is now a function of greater need, as measured by current unemployment levels, and potential for Congressional alignment on funding," analyst Steven Fisher says.
Indeed, infrastructure spending might happen in a second Trump term, though the Democrats' platform is infrastructure-friendly, too, reflected in several so-called Biden stocks. If this kind of spending is indeed in the cards, Caterpillar and other industrial stocks would stand to benefit.
But also keep your eye on mining stocks – miners of commodities such as iron and aluminum could get a boost from either party's infrastructure plan, but additional stimulus spending of any sort could also bolster the price of gold – and the shares of companies who mine it. Read on to discover several types of mining stocks to consider for the months ahead.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Kyle Woodley is the Editor-in-Chief of WealthUp, a site dedicated to improving the personal finances and financial literacy of people of all ages. He also writes the weekly The Weekend Tea 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.
-
New $6,000 'Senior Bonus' Deduction: What It Means for Taxpayers Over Age 65
Tax Changes If you’re an older adult, a new bonus tax deduction could provide a valuable tax benefit. Here's how it works.
-
Walmart Plus Members Will Soon Have Their Choice Between Two Streaming Services
Discover which streaming service is coming to the platform.
-
Big Tech Names Rise Above Broad Weakness: Stock Market Today
Some familiar names enjoyed solid rallies on the resolution of outstanding questions, but macro uncertainty hangs over the broader market.
-
Alphabet Stock Pops After Google Antitrust Ruling: What to Know
GOOGL stock is soaring Wednesday after a judge ruled that Alphabet does not have to divest its Chrome browser.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Sherwin-Williams Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Sherwin-Williams stock has clobbered the broader market by a wide margin for a long time.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into UnitedHealth Group Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
UNH stock was a massive market beater for ages — until it wasn't.
-
Dow Rips 846 Points to New All-Time High: Stock Market Today
Fed Chair Jerome Powell seems ready to cut interest rates in the fall but will still rely on incoming economic data about inflation and employment.
-
Dow Retreats From a Record High: Stock Market Today
Quietly rising since April, Home Depot stock was conspicuously constructive Tuesday as high-profile tech names dragged equity indexes down.
-
What Tariffs Mean for Your Sector Exposure
New, higher and changing tariffs will ripple through the economy and into share prices for many quarters to come.
-
Dow Dives 542 Points on Soft Jobs Data: Stock Market Today
The last day of a busy week ends with the first greater-than-1% move in either direction in more than a month.