U.S. stocks finished a choppy session little changed across the broader indices. The Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 managed small gains, but the Dow and Russell 2000 closed lower. The S&P 500 finished just below unchanged.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: 51,355.15, down 162.02 points or 0.31%
- S&P 500: 7,704.22, down 1.80 points or 0.02%
- Nasdaq Composite: 26,939.37, up 3.34 points or 0.01%
- Russell 2000: 2,835.58, down 3.08 points or 0.11%
- Nasdaq 100: 30,478.86, up 8.56 points or 0.03%
The small closing changes hide a more interesting session. Earlier, the S&P 500 was down as much as 43.45 points and the Nasdaq Composite was off 229.90 points. Both recovered as buyers stepped in near the technical support levels I highlighted earlier today. That is a reminder for traders: where an index trades during the day can matter as much as where it closes. Sellers had their shot at pushing through support, but could not sustain the move.
Meta was one of the clearest winners. Shares rose $33.49, or 4.50%, to $777.59, extending the rally tied to enthusiasm for its Muse personal AI agent. Meta introduced Muse earlier this month and announced yesterday that it is bringing the agent to its AI glasses. Those developments have given investors a more tangible product to weigh against Meta’s substantial AI spending.
For Meta traders, the question is whether the gains can continue after such a sharp run. The buyers remain in control while the stock holds its recent breakout. If the price starts giving back those gains, traders will look for evidence that enthusiasm for Muse is running ahead of the near-term price action.
Other notable gainers included NBIS, up 7.44%; Intel, up 3.91%; and AMD, up 2.38%. On the other side, Arm fell 7.88%, while Sandisk lost 3.47% and Coherent declined 3.32%. The split within technology helps explain the close: strength in Meta and selected AI names supported the Nasdaq, but it was not a broad advance.
The takeaway for tomorrow is straightforward. The major indices held support today, but the closing gains in the Nasdaq were slim. Buyers need follow-through to show that today’s rebound has staying power.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.