Stock Market Today: Nasdaq Scores Biggest Surge in 4 Months
Tesla, Apple and a most other large-cap tech names triggered a relief rally in the Nasdaq a day after the index fell into correction.
The Nasdaq Composite, doing its best impersonation of a pendulum of late, swung hard in the bulls' direction Tuesday with its best one-day performance in roughly four months – just one day after falling into a correction from its Feb. 12 peak.
"The Nasdaq market 'capitulated' (on Monday)," says market strategist Louis Navellier. "Volume was light, however, which is less of a concern than high-volume declines, which indicate panic."
Today's "buy-the-dip" moment in the tech-heavy index coincided with a short reprieve in rising Treasury rates; the 10-year Treasury yield closed at 1.55% on Tuesday.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
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.
"The 10-year (yield) is now overbought on the short-term charts," says Dan Wantrobski, technical strategist and associate director of research at Janney Montgomery Scott, adding that further pullbacks "should power better relative performance out of the tech sector over the short-run."
Tesla (TSLA, +19.6%) broke a five-session slump, roaring ahead on robust vehicle sales data out of China. That, as well as big moves in tech blue chips such as Apple (AAPL, +4.1%), Microsoft (MSFT, +2.8%) and Nvidia (NVDA, +8.0%) sent the Nasdaq 3.7% higher to 13,073 – its biggest single-day gain since Nov. 4, 2020. The Dow finished a slim 0.1% higher to 31,832.
Other action in the stock market today:
- The S&P 500 gained 1.4% to 3,875..
- The small-cap Russell 2000 popped 1.9% to 2,245.
- U.S. crude oil futures declined by 1.6% to $64.01 per barrel.
- Gold futures rebounded 2.3% to settle at $1,716.60 per ounce.
- Rocket Cos. (RKT, +3.2%) broke a four-session losing streak on the record date of its $1.11-per-share special dividend. While RKT's payout is expected to be a one-time affair, there are some stocks that more regularly pay special dividends.
- Bitcoin prices continued their recent resurgence, climbing 5.0% to $54,388. (Bitcoin trades 24 hours a day; prices reported here are as of 4 p.m. each trading day.)
What Hedge Funds Are Holding
That's more good news for the hedge fund set, which is having a nice start to 2021.
The Eurekahedge North American Hedge Fund Index was up 4.8% through March 8, beating every one of the major indices. In part, they have the Dow Jones Industrial Average to thank – Dow 30 stocks feature prominently among the stocks most widely held by hedge funds and other institutional money.
But they're also heavy in the technology sector, which has lagged in 2021 – so it stands that Tuesday's revival in mega-cap tech was celebrated by much of Wall Street's "smart money."
What exactly do hedge funds own en masse at the moment? Today, we've taken a dive into their most recent filings and identified 25 stocks that are most widely held among institutional holders with deep pockets and rich research resources. Have a look!
Kyle Woodley was long NVDA as of this writing.
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.
-
5 Types of Gifts the IRS Won’t Tax: Even If They’re BigGift Tax Several categories of gifts don’t count toward annual gift tax limits. Here's what you need to know.
-
The 'Scrooge' Strategy: How to Turn Your Old Junk Into a Tax DeductionTax Deductions We break down the IRS rules for non-cash charitable contributions. Plus, here's a handy checklist before you donate to charity this year.
-
IRS Says You Made a Tax Return Mistake? A New Law Could Help You Fight BackTax Law Updated taxpayer protections change what the IRS must explain on error notices and how long you have to respond.
-
Dow Rises 497 Points on December Rate Cut: Stock Market TodayThe basic questions for market participants and policymakers remain the same after a widely expected Fed rate cut.
-
JPMorgan's Drop Drags on the Dow: Stock Market TodaySmall-cap stocks outperformed Tuesday on expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates on Wednesday.
-
Stocks Slip to Start Fed Week: Stock Market TodayWhile a rate cut is widely expected this week, uncertainty is building around the Fed's future plans for monetary policy.
-
Stocks Keep Climbing as Fed Meeting Nears: Stock Market TodayA stale inflation report and improving consumer sentiment did little to shift expectations for a rate cut next week.
-
Crypto Trends to Watch in 2026Cryptocurrency is still less than 20 years old, but it remains a fast-moving (and also maturing) market. Here are the crypto trends to watch for in 2026.
-
Small Caps Hit a New High on Rate-Cut Hope: Stock Market TodayOdds for a December rate cut remain high after the latest batch of jobs data, which helped the Russell 2000 outperform today.
-
UNH Sparks a 408-Point Surge for the Dow: Stock Market TodayThe best available data right now confirm both a slowing employment market and a December rate cut, a tension reflected at the equity index level.
-
Stocks Bounce Back With Tech-Led Gains: Stock Market TodayEarnings and guidance from tech stocks and an old-school industrial lifted all three main U.S. equity indexes back into positive territory.
