The Nasdaq Composite kicked off the trading week by taking its cue from the bond market yet again, with the tech-heavy index outpacing its peers Monday as Treasury yields stepped back.
A number of mega-cap tech stocks put up solid gains, including Apple (AAPL, +2.8%), Facebook (FB, +1.2%) and Nvidia (NVDA, +2.7%), powering a 1.2% gain in the Nasdaq to 13,377.
Electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA, +2.3%) headed higher too, though you can also chalk that up to an exuberant statement from Cathie Wood. The Ark Invest CEO said over the weekend that TSLA shares, which fetched almost $655 at the end of last week, would reach $3,000 by 2025.
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.
Tesla also likely was reacting well to CEO Elon Musk's response to China, which restricted use of its EVs by state personnel after a Chinese security review revealed vehicle sensors could record images of their surroundings. Musk said Tesla "would never provide" the U.S. with such data.
"We believe this statement (while assumed) was important for Tesla and Musk to make directly to the Chinese and the government in Beijing given the strategic importance of its EV ambitions within China," says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, who rates TSLA at Hold.
The other major indices put up slightly smaller gains Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.3% to 32,731, and the S&P 500 up 0.7% to 3,940.
One factor potentially weighing on more economically sensitive stocks in the short term? While vaccinations are being administered at a rapid pace, COVID-19 cases are rising across more than half of the U.S. – likely the result of both the introduction of more contagious variants and the phasing-out of various social distancing restrictions.
Other action in the stock market today:
- The Russell 2000 bucked the trend, dropping 0.9% to 2,266.
- Kansas City Southern (KSU) jumped 11.1% after fellow railroad operator Canadian Pacific Railway (CP, -5.8%) offered to buy the firm out for $25 billion.
- U.S. crude oil futures slipped 0.2% to $61.55 per barrel.
- Gold futures finished with a similar decline, off 0.2% to $1,738.10 per ounce.
- Bitcoin prices slumped 6.0% from their Friday levels, reaching $55,853 on Monday. (Bitcoin trades 24 hours a day; prices reported here are as of 4 p.m. each trading day.)
Is Infrastructure About to Take Off?
Still, the market is trending up, and another emerging bullish driver could help sustain that momentum.
The New York Times, citing people familiar with the plans, say the Biden administration is prepping pitches for $3 trillion in spending across several initiatives, including (and likely starting with) a massive infrastructure bill.
This effort would reportedly "spend heavily on infrastructure improvements, clean energy deployment and the development of other 'high-growth industries of the future' like 5G telecommunications" – key themes behind our top "Biden" stocks and potential catalysts for these 12 infrastructure-minded stocks.
An infrastructure push also would be yet more wind in the sails of commodity prices and, by extension, the companies that help produce them.
A wide variety of commodities, from metals to oil to timber, have rallied for several months on the prospects of a global economic rebound – and, by and large, Wall Street believes many of them still have more room to run.
Read on as we look at five commodity stocks that stand out right now.
Kyle Woodley was long NVDA as of this writing.
-
Dow Adds 646 Points, Hits New Highs: Stock Market TodayIt was "boom" for the Dow but "bust" for the Nasdaq following a December Fed meeting that was less hawkish than expected.
-
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.
-
Dow Adds 646 Points, Hits New Highs: Stock Market Today
It was "boom" for the Dow but "bust" for the Nasdaq following a December Fed meeting that was less hawkish than expected.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Dow Slides 427 Points to Open December: Stock Market TodayThe final month of 2025 begins on a negative note after stocks ended November with a startling rally.
