AI spending concerns pressure mega-cap stocks

The major averages finished lower this week as concerns surrounding the cost of the AI buildout weighed heavily on mega-cap growth stocks, overshadowing strength across semiconductor, energy, and several cyclical sectors. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.1%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.6% and the DJIA lost 0.4%. Although earnings season produced a number of upbeat corporate results, investor attention increasingly centered on AI spending, rising oil prices, and higher Treasury yields.

The week's defining catalyst came Thursday following earnings from Alphabet and Tesla. Both companies outlined more aggressive investment plans, reinforcing expectations that hyperscalers will continue spending heavily on AI infrastructure while raising fresh questions about margins, free cash flow, and how quickly those investments will generate meaningful returns. The "Magnificent Seven" collectively shed roughly $800 billion in market capitalization during Thursday's session, driving sharp weekly declines in the communication services (-6.2%) and consumer discretionary (-6.1%) sectors.

The selling was far more concentrated among the companies funding the AI buildout than those supplying it. The information technology sector edged 0.4% higher. The contrast suggested investors remain constructive on AI infrastructure demand but are becoming more sensitive to the growing cost of that investment for the largest technology companies.

Oil prices provided another major theme throughout the week. WTI crude rose roughly 10.5% as escalating tensions involving the U.S., Iran, and Houthi forces fueled concerns about broader regional conflict and potential supply disruptions. The move pushed Treasury yields higher, increased expectations for Federal Reserve tightening, and created a more challenging backdrop for growth stocks.

Despite the weakness in mega-cap technology, leadership broadened elsewhere in the market. Energy (+3.8%) finished as the top-performing sector, while utilities (+2.5%) and industrials (+1.8%) also posted solid gains, helping limit the broader market's losses.

Overall, the week highlighted a subtle but important shift in the market's AI narrative. Demand for AI infrastructure remained robust, but investors became increasingly focused on the economics of the unprecedented capital spending required to support it. That distinction left the broader market only modestly lower while producing a much steeper decline across the Nasdaq and the largest growth stocks.

• DJIA: -0.4% week-to-date

• S&P 500: -0.6% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: -0.9% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: -1.1% week-to-date

• Nasdaq Composite: -2.1% week-to-date

Semiconductor selloff overshadows favorable inflation data

The stock market navigated another eventful week, with inflation data, semiconductor volatility, geopolitical developments, and the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO all competing for investors' attention. By week's end, however, easing oil prices and improving market breadth helped the major averages secure modest gains, with the S&P 500 (+0.7%), Nasdaq Composite (+0.7%), and DJIA (+0.7%) all finishing higher.

One of the week's most notable developments was the market's reaction to inflation data. While both CPI and PPI contained some mildly encouraging elements, neither report materially altered expectations that the Federal Reserve will remain patient on rate cuts. Overall, inflation still remains elevated, reinforcing the view that progress toward the Fed's 2% target remains slow and uneven. Treasury yields ultimately finished the week lower, though investors were left with little reason to expect a significant shift in monetary policy anytime soon.

Technology stocks remained at the center of the action, though leadership within the sector was anything but smooth. Semiconductor stocks experienced multiple sharp reversals throughout the week, highlighted by abrupt selloffs on Tuesday and Wednesday that were followed by equally powerful rebounds later in the week. The sector's resilience contrasted with continued weakness in software stocks.

The week's most anticipated corporate event arrived Friday with SpaceX's public debut. The offering priced at $135 per share before opening at $150 and finishing its first session roughly 19% above the IPO price. While some market participants suggested the offering contributed to volatility across mega-cap technology stocks as investors repositioned portfolios and raised cash ahead of the debut, the successful launch ultimately served as another reminder of the strong appetite for growth-oriented and technology-related investments.

Geopolitical developments also played a major role throughout the week. Markets spent much of the first half of the week reacting to developments surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations and periodic military escalations, which repeatedly influenced oil prices and investor sentiment. Ultimately, optimism surrounding a potential agreement between the two countries helped crude oil prices tumble roughly 7% for the week. That decline became a powerful tailwind for equities, supporting airlines, homebuilders, cruise operators, financials, materials, and other economically sensitive areas of the market. While the energy sector finished slightly lower for the week, falling oil prices helped ease inflation concerns and provided a supportive backdrop for risk assets more broadly.

Perhaps the most encouraging development for bulls was the continued broadening beneath the surface. While mega-cap growth stocks and technology names experienced bouts of volatility, leadership increasingly expanded into other areas of the market. The Russell 2000 (+3.9%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+2.8%) comfortably outpaced the major averages, while financials, materials, consumer staples, and real estate all posted solid gains. The improvement in participation suggests investors are becoming more willing to look beyond a handful of mega-cap technology stocks, even as AI-related themes continue to command significant attention.

In the end, the week served as a reminder that markets remain highly sensitive to both inflation and geopolitical developments. Yet despite choppy trading across many of the market's largest stocks, investors consistently bought dips in semiconductors, embraced the SpaceX debut, and rotated into a broader range of sectors. Combined with falling oil prices and declining volatility, that resilience was enough to keep the major averages in positive territory and leave the broader market on relatively solid footing heading into next week.

• Russell 2000: +3.9% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: +2.8% week-to-date

• Nasdaq Composite: +0.7% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.7% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +0.7% week-to-date

Oil swings and AI leadership keep stocks climbing

The major averages turned in a mixed performance during a volatile week that was shaped by sharp swings in both oil prices and semiconductor stocks. The S&P 500 gained 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.7%, supported by renewed leadership from mega-cap technology stocks, while the DJIA slipped 0.5% as economically sensitive and industrial-heavy components struggled with rising energy prices and geopolitical uncertainty. The AI trade remained firmly in focus as investors repeatedly bought weakness across semiconductor stocks despite bouts of profit-taking, while geopolitical developments surrounding Iran drove significant day-to-day rotations across the broader market.

Technology leadership ultimately remained intact, even if the path was anything but smooth. The information technology sector rose 3.4% for the week, though the group experienced several sharp reversals. Those pullbacks repeatedly attracted buyers, with optimism surrounding the long-term AI investment cycle reinforced by favorable developments for companies including NVIDIA, Broadcom, AMD, and Applied Materials. The week's resilience also extended beyond semiconductors, supported by continued strength in several of the market's largest technology companies.

The communication services sector (+2.3%) also outperformed, led by another strong week for Meta Platforms as investors continued warming to the company's expanding AI strategy and infrastructure investments. Reports highlighting opportunities to monetize excess computing capacity, the launch of its Muse Image model, and continued enthusiasm surrounding its AI product roadmap helped Meta finish among the week's top-performing S&P 500 components.

Away from technology, the market spent much of the week responding to developments in the Middle East. Reports of attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, renewed military action between the U.S. and Iran, and subsequent diplomatic developments produced sharp swings in crude oil prices, with WTI briefly climbing above $73 per barrel before retreating into the week's close. Those moves drove significant day-to-day rotations across cyclical sectors. Energy finished with a 3.2% weekly gain, while the industrials (-1.1%) and materials (-2.2%) sectors lagged as higher fuel costs periodically pressured transportation, construction, and packaging-related companies. Although oil prices eased later in the week, those sectors still finished in negative territory, contributing to the DJIA's weekly decline.

Economic data played a secondary role to geopolitical developments, though it continued to reinforce the view of a resilient economy. Services activity remained in expansion territory, weekly jobless claims stayed near historically low levels, and Treasury auctions were generally well received despite yields moving higher over the course of the week. Meanwhile, the June FOMC minutes reaffirmed the Fed's data-dependent approach, with policymakers continuing to acknowledge persistent inflation pressures and uncertainty surrounding the outlook rather than signaling any meaningful shift in policy expectations.

Overall, the week's trading reinforced the market's willingness to look through short-term volatility. Sharp swings in oil prices and continued turbulence across semiconductor stocks created frequent rotations beneath the surface, yet investors repeatedly returned to favored AI-related technology names, allowing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to advance even as the more cyclical DJIA finished lower. With second-quarter earnings season set to begin next week alongside another round of inflation data, the market's ability to remain near record highs suggests investors remain focused on the longer-term earnings and AI investment story.

• Nasdaq Composite: +1.7% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +1.2% week-to-date

• DJIA: -0.5% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: -0.5% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: -0.5% week-to-date

Tech selloff masks improving market breadth

Week ending 6-26-26

The market endured a difficult week on the surface, but the weakness was far more concentrated than the major averages alone would suggest. The S&P 500 fell 2.0% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 4.6% as another sharp pullback across semiconductor and mega-cap technology stocks weighed heavily on index performance. Beneath the surface, however, investors continued rotating into other areas of the market, with the DJIA (+0.6%), Russell 2000 (+1.0%), and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+0.7%) all finishing higher. Falling Treasury yields and another retreat in oil prices further supported defensive and rate-sensitive sectors throughout the week.

Technology remained the dominant story, though leadership became increasingly fragmented. Semiconductor stocks experienced another volatile stretch despite a powerful post-earnings rally from Micron that briefly reignited enthusiasm across memory names. The broader group struggled to build on those gains as investors continued trimming exposure to AI infrastructure stocks following weakness across South Korean chipmakers early in the week and renewed concerns surrounding the sector later in the week. Meanwhile, software stocks and several large-cap technology names periodically outperformed, highlighting an increasingly selective approach toward technology rather than broad-based selling. The information technology sector ultimately declined 5.4%.

The week's rotation extended well beyond technology. The health care sector (+7.9%) was the clear leader after several acquisition announcements and strong performances from large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, while the real estate (+4.0%) and utilities (+3.9%) sectors also posted sizable gains as Treasury yields steadily declined. Homebuilders and construction-related names also benefited from lower yields and easing energy prices. The continued strength across these groups reinforced the notion that investors were rotating within equities rather than exiting the market altogether.

Macroeconomic developments generally supported that rotation. Treasury yields trended lower throughout the week as economic data, including the PCE inflation report, largely met expectations while crude oil prices continued to retreat. WTI crude fell roughly 6% during the week as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continued to progress and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz normalized, helping alleviate inflation concerns while supporting travel, construction, and other economically sensitive industries.

By week's end, the market remained defined by a clear divergence beneath the surface. While persistent weakness across semiconductor and mega-cap technology stocks drove the headline indices lower, improving breadth, leadership from defensive and rate-sensitive sectors, and continued resilience across much of the broader market suggested that investor appetite for equities remained intact despite heightened volatility within the market's most influential growth stocks.

• Russell 2000: +1.0% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: +0.7% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.6% week-to-date

• S&P 500: -2.0% week-to-date

• Nasdaq Composite: -4.6% week-to-date

Stocks overcome hawkish Fed to finish higher

The stock market navigated a volatile holiday-shortened week, overcoming a hawkish surprise from the Federal Reserve and several sharp reversals across technology stocks to finish higher. The S&P 500 (+0.9%), Nasdaq Composite (+2.4%), and DJIA (+0.7%) all advanced, as easing geopolitical tensions and a sharp decline in oil prices helped offset concerns about a higher-for-longer interest rate environment.

The week's most significant development came on Wednesday, when the June FOMC meeting delivered a more hawkish tone than many investors expected. While the Committee left the federal funds target range unchanged, updated economic projections showed inflation remaining persistently above target and pushed out expectations for future policy easing. The median path now implies no rate cuts in 2026, and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's first meeting at the helm was widely interpreted as reinforcing a higher-for-longer policy stance. Stocks sold off sharply following the announcement, but the weakness proved short-lived as investors stepped back into many of the market's favored areas.

Semiconductor stocks remained the market's primary leadership group, though the path higher was far from smooth. Investors repeatedly bought those pullbacks, with Thursday's rebound driven by strength in Intel, Micron, and other memory names. The group's resilience helped propel the information technology sector (+3.1%) to the top of the leaderboard and pushed the Nasdaq Composite to a decisive weekly outperformance.

Investors also continued to focus on SpaceX, which remained one of the market's most actively traded names following last week's IPO. Shares experienced their first meaningful bout of profit-taking following the FOMC meeting but still finished the week up 14.9%, highlighting continued enthusiasm for high-growth and AI-related themes.

Meanwhile, geopolitical developments provided an increasingly supportive backdrop. Confidence grew throughout the week that a framework agreement between the U.S. and Iran would ultimately hold, culminating in the signing of a 60-day memorandum of understanding. Crude oil prices tumbled roughly 11% during the week, easing inflation concerns and supporting economically sensitive groups ranging from airlines and homebuilders to industrial and consumer discretionary names. The energy sector (-6.6%) finished as the week's weakest performer as a result.

Beneath the surface, participation improved as investors looked beyond mega-cap technology stocks. The industrials sector (+2.6%) and the Russell 2000 (+1.2%) outperformed, while homebuilders rallied alongside falling rates and energy prices. Defensive groups moved in the opposite direction, with health care (-3.0%), consumer staples (-2.9%), and real estate (-3.5%) sectors finishing near the bottom of the sector leaderboard.

In the end, the market absorbed a hawkish Fed meeting surprisingly well. Falling oil prices, improving breadth, and persistent semiconductor leadership were enough to overcome concerns about delayed rate cuts, allowing the major averages to finish another week in positive territory.

• Nasdaq Composite: +2.4% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: +1.2% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +0.9% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.7% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: -0.1% week-to-date

Oil Retreat Fuels Broadening Rally

The stock market navigated another eventful week, with inflation data, semiconductor volatility, geopolitical developments, and the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO all competing for investors' attention. By week's end, however, easing oil prices and improving market breadth helped the major averages secure modest gains, with the S&P 500 (+0.7%), Nasdaq Composite (+0.7%), and DJIA (+0.7%) all finishing higher.

One of the week's most notable developments was the market's reaction to inflation data. While both CPI and PPI contained some mildly encouraging elements, neither report materially altered expectations that the Federal Reserve will remain patient on rate cuts. Overall, inflation still remains elevated, reinforcing the view that progress toward the Fed's 2% target remains slow and uneven. Treasury yields ultimately finished the week lower, though investors were left with little reason to expect a significant shift in monetary policy anytime soon.

Technology stocks remained at the center of the action, though leadership within the sector was anything but smooth. Semiconductor stocks experienced multiple sharp reversals throughout the week, highlighted by abrupt selloffs on Tuesday and Wednesday that were followed by equally powerful rebounds later in the week. The sector's resilience contrasted with continued weakness in software stocks.

The week's most anticipated corporate event arrived Friday with SpaceX's public debut. The offering priced at $135 per share before opening at $150 and finishing its first session roughly 19% above the IPO price. While some market participants suggested the offering contributed to volatility across mega-cap technology stocks as investors repositioned portfolios and raised cash ahead of the debut, the successful launch ultimately served as another reminder of the strong appetite for growth-oriented and technology-related investments.

Geopolitical developments also played a major role throughout the week. Markets spent much of the first half of the week reacting to developments surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations and periodic military escalations, which repeatedly influenced oil prices and investor sentiment. Ultimately, optimism surrounding a potential agreement between the two countries helped crude oil prices tumble roughly 7% for the week. That decline became a powerful tailwind for equities, supporting airlines, homebuilders, cruise operators, financials, materials, and other economically sensitive areas of the market. While the energy sector finished slightly lower for the week, falling oil prices helped ease inflation concerns and provided a supportive backdrop for risk assets more broadly.

Perhaps the most encouraging development for bulls was the continued broadening beneath the surface. While mega-cap growth stocks and technology names experienced bouts of volatility, leadership increasingly expanded into other areas of the market. The Russell 2000 (+3.9%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+2.8%) comfortably outpaced the major averages, while financials, materials, consumer staples, and real estate all posted solid gains. The improvement in participation suggests investors are becoming more willing to look beyond a handful of mega-cap technology stocks, even as AI-related themes continue to command significant attention.

In the end, the week served as a reminder that markets remain highly sensitive to both inflation and geopolitical developments. Yet despite choppy trading across many of the market's largest stocks, investors consistently bought dips in semiconductors, embraced the SpaceX debut, and rotated into a broader range of sectors. Combined with falling oil prices and declining volatility, that resilience was enough to keep the major averages in positive territory and leave the broader market on relatively solid footing heading into next week.

• Russell 2000: +3.9% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: +2.8% week-to-date

• Nasdaq Composite: +0.7% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.7% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +0.7% week-to-date

Tech-Led Rally Unravels as Yields Surge and Semiconductors Reverse

The stock market endured its toughest week in months, with a sharp Friday sell-off erasing early gains and leaving all the major averages in negative territory. The S&P 500 fell 2.6%, snapping a nine-week winning streak, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.7% as technology stocks surrendered a significant portion of their recent advance. The DJIA proved relatively resilient, slipping just 0.3%, but still finished lower for the week.

At the heart of the decline was a dramatic reversal across many of the market's highest-flying technology and AI-related names. Earlier in the week, investors remained enthusiastic about the AI infrastructure theme, fueling strong gains in semiconductor, networking, optical, and software-related stocks. However, that leadership became increasingly fragile as the week progressed. A disappointing market reaction to Broadcom's earnings report on Thursday added to the pressure, sparking a sharp sell-off across semiconductor stocks and raising questions about whether expectations throughout the AI supply chain had become too elevated. By Friday, a stronger-than-expected May employment report reignited concerns that the Federal Reserve may need to keep monetary policy restrictive for longer, driving Treasury yields higher and triggering widespread selling across growth-oriented areas of the market.

The information technology sector fell 5.4% for the week, making it the worst-performing S&P 500 sector outside of the consumer discretionary sector (-6.2%). Semiconductor stocks experienced particularly volatile trading.

The weakness extended beyond semiconductors and software. Mega-cap growth stocks that had powered much of the market's advance in recent months also came under pressure. Several of the market's largest technology and internet companies experienced bouts of profit-taking as investors reassessed valuations amid rising interest-rate expectations and growing volatility.

While technology struggled, investors increasingly sought shelter in more defensive corners of the market. Health care (+2.3%), real estate (+1.5%), utilities (+1.3%), and consumer staples (+1.0%) all finished the week higher. These groups benefited from rotational buying as investors reduced exposure to higher-beta growth stocks and gravitated toward sectors perceived as more stable amid rising market uncertainty.

Energy was another notable outperformer, gaining 2.5% despite significant volatility in oil markets throughout the week. Crude prices were driven by a rapidly evolving geopolitical backdrop involving Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, producing several large daily swings. Although oil prices eventually finished well below midweek highs, energy stocks still managed to outperform most areas of the market.

Market participation also deteriorated considerably as the week unfolded. The Russell 2000 fell 2.9%, while the S&P Mid Cap 400 lost 0.9%. Although both indexes showed periods of relative strength during the middle of the week, rising Treasury yields and worsening risk appetite weighed on smaller-cap stocks, particularly following Friday's employment report.

Beneath the surface, the week illustrated a meaningful shift in investor sentiment. Early optimism surrounding artificial intelligence, easing geopolitical concerns, and resilient economic data initially supported additional record highs for the major averages. However, stronger economic reports and a hotter labor market ultimately shifted attention back toward inflation risks and the possibility of higher interest rates for longer. That change in focus proved especially damaging for the market's most richly valued growth stocks.

The increase in volatility reflected that shift. Ultimately, the week's decline was less about broad economic deterioration and more about a significant repricing of growth expectations. As Treasury yields moved higher and rate-cut hopes continued to fade, investors aggressively reduced exposure to the same technology and AI-related areas that had previously driven the market to record highs. The result was a sharp pullback across major growth sectors, a resurgence in defensive leadership, and the market's first meaningful setback in several months.

• DJIA: -0.3% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: -0.9% week-to-date

• S&P 500: -2.6% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: -2.9% week-to-date

• Nasdaq Composite: -4.7% week-to-date

Macro headwinds pressure broader market beneath the surface of record highs

The stock market turned in a far more mixed performance this week, with the major averages masking notable weakness beneath the surface. The S&P 500 (+0.1%) and Nasdaq Composite (+0.1%) finished little changed after repeatedly trading at fresh record highs earlier in the week, while the DJIA (-0.2%) ended modestly lower. Broader market participation deteriorated considerably as the week progressed, with the Russell 2000 (-2.4%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (-2.4%) posting steep losses amid renewed pressure on economically sensitive and rate-sensitive areas of the market.

The macro backdrop remained a key headwind throughout the week. Hotter-than-expected CPI and PPI reports reinforced concerns that inflation remains stubbornly elevated, while renewed geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran pushed crude oil prices sharply higher by week's end. Treasury yields climbed steadily throughout the week as investors continued to scale back expectations for Fed rate cuts and increasingly entertain the possibility that rates could remain restrictive well into next year.

Technology stocks once again provided much of the market's support. The information technology sector rose 1.2% as investors consistently bought pullbacks across AI-linked chipmakers throughout the week. NVIDIA remained a central leadership name, while semiconductor stocks repeatedly rebounded from bouts of profit-taking despite the increasingly difficult rate backdrop.

However, leadership narrowed considerably beneath the surface. Software stocks displayed relative resilience.

Meanwhile, several economically sensitive groups struggled under the pressure of rising yields and higher oil prices. The consumer discretionary sector fell 3.1%, real estate dropped 2.6%, materials lost 2.3%, and utilities declined 2.1%. Homebuilders were particularly weak as higher Treasury yields pressured housing affordability.

Elsewhere, the energy sector (+6.8%) was the clear outperformer as crude oil prices surged amid renewed fears surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict and potential disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

Overall, the week highlighted the increasingly fragile balance supporting the broader market. AI-driven enthusiasm and continued strength across mega-cap technology stocks helped keep the major averages near record territory, but narrowing breadth, rising Treasury yields, persistent inflation pressures, and surging oil prices created growing headwinds beneath the surface. The market has repeatedly shown a willingness to buy pullbacks across technology and semiconductor names, though this week's action suggested investors are becoming less willing to extend that same enthusiasm across the broader market.

• S&P 500: +0.1%

• Nasdaq Composite: -0.1%

• DJIA: -0.2%

• Russell 2000: -2.4%

• S&P Mid Cap 400: -2.4%

Tech gains fuel another record week

The stock market turned in another strong showing this week, with the S&P 500 (+2.3%) and Nasdaq Composite (+4.5%) climbing deeper into record territory as semiconductor and mega-cap technology stocks resumed their leadership role. Broader participation was also constructive, with the Russell 2000 (+1.7%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+1.7%) both advancing alongside large-cap benchmarks. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed meaningfully thanks to a powerful rally across chipmakers and AI-related names, while the DJIA (+0.2%) lagged amid weakness in defensive sectors and limited industrial participation.

Geopolitical tensions and fluctuations in oil prices remained a key backdrop throughout the week. Stocks opened lower on renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, briefly sending crude oil above $106/bbl, before easing tensions and improving negotiation optimism helped oil retreat sharply into week’s end. That reversal removed a key macro headwind and supported risk appetite, particularly in growth-oriented areas of the market.

Technology stocks were the clear leadership group throughout the week. The information technology sector surged 7.0%, amid another wave of AI-driven enthusiasm and strong earnings growth. NVIDIA climbed 8.4%, while names such as Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, Micron, and Sandisk posted outsized gains across the chip space.

Software stocks also delivered solid relative strength.

That same mega-cap strength carried into other growth-sensitive areas of the market. The communication services (+1.9%) and consumer discretionary (+1.8%) sectors both posted solid gains, reflecting continued leadership from large-cap platforms and consumer-facing tech-driven companies, reinforcing the theme that index gains were concentrated in the largest, most influential stocks.

Meanwhile, falling oil prices pressured the energy sector (-5.4%), which finished as the week’s weakest-performing S&P 500 sector. Utilities (-4.0%) and financials (-1.4%) also lagged as investors rotated toward higher-beta growth and technology exposure.

Overall, the week reinforced the market’s ongoing AI-driven leadership theme. Strong earnings growth, easing geopolitical fears, and renewed momentum across semiconductors and mega-cap technology stocks helped propel the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite further into record territory.

• Nasdaq Composite: +4.5% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +2.3% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: +1.7% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: +1.7% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.2% week-to-date

S&P 500 Tops 7,200 as Record Run Extends

The stock market delivered a modestly higher finish this week, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite eclipsing record highs multiple times throughout the week—including the S&P 500 breaking above the 7,200 level for the first time—as solid earnings growth and selective mega-cap strength helped offset a more cautious macro backdrop surrounding the latest FOMC meeting.

Despite the relatively muted index-level gains, this week featured meaningful crosscurrents beneath the surface. Strong earnings results—particularly from several mega-cap names—remained a key pillar of support, though reactions were mixed as elevated expectations and increased scrutiny around capital expenditures created more dispersion in price action. Alphabet (+12.0%) stood out as a major winner following a strong earnings report, while Meta Platforms (-9.8%) moved sharply lower despite topping estimates, reflecting investor sensitivity to forward guidance and spending trends.

The Federal Reserve meeting also loomed large over the week. While the Fed ultimately held rates steady as expected, the tone of the meeting reinforced a data-dependent outlook, with policymakers acknowledging persistent inflation pressures—particularly those tied to energy—while stopping short of signaling an imminent policy shift. This contributed to a somewhat restrained risk appetite, especially compared to the stronger momentum seen in prior weeks.

Sector performance reflected this mixed backdrop. Communication services (+4.5%) led by a wide margin, driven largely by earnings-fueled gains in mega-cap constituents, while energy (+3.2%) also outperformed amid firm oil prices earlier in the week. Defensive sectors such as consumer staples (+1.1%), utilities (+0.7%), and health care (+0.7%) posted solid gains, signaling some rotation toward more balanced positioning.

On the other hand, materials (-2.0%) lagged notably, while the information technology sector (+0.1%) finished little changed despite continued strength in select semiconductor and software names.

Market breadth was somewhat better than the headline moves might suggest. Small-cap stocks participated in the advance, with the Russell 2000 (+0.9%) matching the S&P 500’s gain, while the S&P Mid Cap 400 finished flat.

Overall, the market maintained its footing near record highs, supported by resilient earnings growth and pockets of strong leadership. However, this week’s more measured advance highlights a market that is becoming increasingly selective, as investors weigh strong corporate performance against macro uncertainty and a still-evolving policy outlook.

• Nasdaq Composite: +1.1% week-to-date

• Russell 2000: +0.9% week-to-date

• S&P 500: +0.9% week-to-date

• DJIA: +0.6% week-to-date

• S&P Mid Cap 400: unchanged week-to-date