S&P500

The US stock market is extending its growth

Snapshot of major US stock indexes on Tuesday: Dow +0.5%, NASDAQ +0.8%, S&P 500 +0.6%, S&P 500 at 5,970 in the range of 5,400 to 6,200.

The stock market set off on an upward path Tuesday morning and showed little intention of stepping off it, largely shrugging off Elon Musk's midday criticism of Trump's "big and beautiful budget bill" as a "disgusting abomination" due to its alarming increase in the federal deficit.

Small caps, mega-cap stocks, and semiconductor shares led the rally, supported by growth optimism and continued momentum buying.

The session began on a rather sluggish note, with some consolidation in the air. However, the stock indices gained traction around 10:00 a.m. ET following the release of the April JOLTS Job Openings report, which showed a rise in vacancies.

This was seen as a positive signal for the labor market, sparking renewed hopes for growth, even as the OECD downgraded its global GDP growth forecast for 2025 from 3.1% to 2.9%, and its US forecast from 2.2% to 1.6%. Additionally, China's Caixin manufacturing PMI for May hit its lowest level (48.3) since 2022.

Top-performing sector of the day was Information Technology (+1.5%), led by NVIDIA (NVDA 141.40, +4.02, +2.9%) and semiconductor stocks. It was followed by Energy (+1.1%), Materials (+1.0%), and Industrials (+0.8%) — a clearly pro-cyclical tilt.

The Russell 2000 outperformed with a +1.6% gain, driven by its banking and energy components.

Buying was broad-based. Advancers outpaced decliners by more than 2 to 1 on both the NYSE and Nasdaq. As with the previous session, gains came on below-average trading volume on both exchanges.

Besides, US Treasuries saw little change from Monday's close but experienced some intraday movement. The 10-year yield, which had dipped below 4.41% overnight, closed at 4.46%, while the 30-year yield, which dropped to 4.93%, ended at 4.98%, down two basis points.

Year-to-date performance:

• S&P 500: +1.5%
• Nasdaq: +0.5%
• DJIA: -0.05%
• S&P 400: -2.8%
• Russell 2000: -5.7%

Economic calendar on Tuesday:

Factory Orders declined 3.7% month-over-month in April (consensus: -3.1%) after a downwardly revised 3.4% increase in March (previously +4.3%).

Excluding transportation, factory orders dropped 0.5% for the second consecutive month.

Shipments of manufactured goods fell 0.3% after a 0.2% dip in March.

The takeaway: April activity lacked momentum, with declines across durable goods, nondurable goods, and business investment.

The April JOLTS Job Openings Report showed 7.391 million job openings, up from a revised 7.200 million in March (previously reported at 7.192 million).

Energy market

Brent crude is trading at $65.60 a barrel. Oil remains firm despite a 400,000 barrel-per-day production increase by OPEC. A larger hike may be needed to push prices lower.

Conclusion The US stock market once again signaled its intent to reach new yearly highs, shrugging off negativity from Trump's own tariffs and budget controversies. It makes sense to maintain our long positions.