Stocks started slow Tuesday as the hangover from Monday's broad-market beating lingered. However, a buy-the-dip mentality quickly settled in, with all three main indexes boasting big gains by the time the closing bell rang.
Indeed, after suffering their biggest one-day drops in two years, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 0.8% to 38,997 and the S&P 500 added 1% to 5,240. Not to be outdone, the Nasdaq Composite surged 1% to 16,366 on strength in several mega-cap stocks.
Nvidia (NVDA), for instance, jumped 3.8%, gaining $89 billion in market value along the way, as Wall Street brushed off rumors its Blackwell artificial intelligence (AI) chips may be delayed.
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.
Even if the media reports are true, the impact will likely be minimal and short-lived, says Oppenheimer analyst Rick Schafer (Outperform, the equivalent of Buy). "NVDA's competitive position remains sound," he notes, adding that Nvidia is "best positioned in AI, benefiting from full stack [of] AI hardware/software solutions."
Meta pops in market rebound
Meta Platforms (META) was another Magnificent 7 stock that outperformed Tuesday, rising 3.9%. In an early morning note, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak (Overweight, the equivalent of Buy) warned that internet stocks are at risk if consumer spending slows, but says the Facebook parent is better-positioned to navigate such a scenario compared to its peers.
Nowak has a $575 price target on Meta, representing an implied upside of more than 16% to current levels.
Wall Street isn't worried about Google's antitrust ruling
Elsewhere in the mega-cap space, Alphabet (GOOGL) stock slipped 0.6% after falling more than 4% on Monday following a U.S. federal judge's ruling that Google unlawfully held a monopoly in search and text advertising.
Needham analyst Laura Martin (Buy) thinks the ruling will have a minimal near-term impact on the stock. "We believe consumers give Google Search its monopoly, so even without its exclusive contracts, consumers will download the Google app and its Search market share won't change materially," Martin says, adding that Alphabet remains "our top large-cap stock pick for 2024."
Palantir, Uber climb after earnings
Looking at the earnings calendar, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) stock rallied 10.4% after the data analytics provider beat top- and bottom-line expectations for its second quarter and raised its full-year revenue forecast.
"This was a game changer quarter for the Palantir story as the AIP [Artificial Intelligence Platform] monetization piece on U.S. commercial was front and center as a major growth driver," says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, who reiterated a Buy rating on PLTR stock after earnings.
In other earnings news, Uber Technologies (UBER) was one of the best S&P 500 stocks Tuesday, spiking 10.9% after the ride-hailing company topped expectations for its second quarter. It was also the sixth consecutive quarter that trip growth topped 20%.
Related content
- The Fed Is About to Cut Rates. What Should Investors Do?
- More Home Sellers Stuck With Capital Gains Tax Bills: What to Know
- Kiplinger's Economic Calendar for This Week
-
Three Ways President Trump Could Impact the EconomyThe Letter Some of Trump's top priorities could boost economic growth, but others risk fueling inflation.
-
Average Health Care Costs by Age: Can You Afford It?Expect to pay more as you age. We've got solutions for how to cover these costs, which can exceed $1,000 per month in your 60s.
-
Will You Be Able to Afford Your Dream Retirement?You might need to save more than you think you do. Here are some expenses that might be larger than you expect, along with ways to ensure you save enough.
-
More SECURE 2.0 Retirement Enhancements Kick in This YearSaving for retirement gets a boost with these SECURE 2.0 Act provisions that are starting in 2025.
-
Saving for Your Emergency Fund: As Easy as 1-3-6An emergency fund that can cover six months' worth of expenses is far easier to build if you focus on smaller goals at first.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Slides 697 Points on Super-Hot Jobs DataWhen the December nonfarm payrolls report hit the tape, there was no question which way stocks would go at Friday's opening bell.
-
Blowout December Jobs Report Puts Rate Cuts on Ice: What the Experts Are SayingJobs Report The strongest surge in hiring since March keeps the Fed on hold for now.
-
Constellation Energy Stock Soars on Its $26 Billion Buy. Here's Why Wall Street Likes the DealConstellation Energy is one of the best S&P 500 stocks Friday after the utility said it will buy Calpine in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $26 billion.
-
Why Walgreens Is the Best S&P 500 Stock After EarningsWalgreens stock is soaring Friday after the embattled pharmacy chain reported strong earnings and gave an upbeat outlook.
-
Delta Stock Remains a Strong Buy After EarningsDelta stock is soaring Friday after the air carrier beat earnings expectations and issued a strong outlook. Here's what investors need to know.
