Market
September 18, U.S. stocks opened mixed as investors weighed resilient economic data against fresh Federal Reserve comments. The Dow Jones shed 0.05% to 51,751, the S&P 500 inched up 0.10% to 7,645, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.43% to 26,532, extending its outperformance on continued enthusiasm for artificial-intelligence plays.
Gainers dominated early trading: Circle Internet Corp. up 4.8% on expanding stable-coin volumes; Lumentum up 4.3% after announcing a new laser contract; Coinbase Global, Inc. up 3.5% as crypto prices firm; Alphabet up 2.7% on an AI search upgrade; Broadcom up 2.6% after its VMware deal cleared final hurdles. On the downside, Netflix falls 6.8% following price cuts in key markets, Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bear 3x Shares drops 2.6% as chip names rally, and NVIDIA slips 0.3% amid fresh export-control worries.
Broader movers showed rotation into EV and growth proxies: Li Auto up 2.8% on record weekly deliveries, Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x Shares up 2.6%, XPeng Inc. up 2.1% after unveiling its X9 MPV, and ProShares UltraPro QQQ up 0.9%. Losers included Future FinTech Group Inc. down 15.3% on a revenue warning and Rocket Lab USA, Inc. down 1.1% after delaying its next launch window.
News
Micron Technology raises first-quarter revenue guidance by $500 million. Management cited stronger data-center demand and improved pricing for high-bandwidth memory. The outlook helped lift sentiment across the semiconductor complex.
Broadcom secures final regulatory clearance to acquire VMware. The $61 billion deal is now slated to close next month, creating a diversified infrastructure software giant. Investors cheered expected cost synergies.
Alphabet unveils next-generation AI search features. The company said its Gemini model will roll out across core products this fall, promising more concise results and new ad formats. Shares climbed on optimism for renewed revenue growth.
Coinbase Global, Inc. wins CFTC approval to list crypto futures for U.S. retail traders. The long-awaited license positions the exchange to tap a lucrative derivatives market. Analysts expect the move to diversify fee income.
Netflix cuts subscription prices in five Asian markets. Management aims to boost subscriber additions ahead of the holiday season but analysts warned of margin pressure. The stock fell sharply on the competitive move.
NVIDIA faces new U.S. export restrictions on advanced AI chips. Commerce Department officials proposed tighter rules on high-end GPU shipments to China, weighing on the stock and sparking broader debate over supply-chain resilience.
Tesla Motors begins initial deliveries of the long-awaited Cybertruck. Early customers in Texas received the first vehicles, confirming production ramp-up at Giga Austin. The company reiterated a target of 200,000 units annually.
Apple authorizes additional $110 billion share-repurchase program. The tech giant said robust services cash flow underpins the expanded buyback, offsetting iPhone margin pressure. The move underscores confidence in long-term demand.
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision signals patience on rate cuts. Speaking at an economic forum, the policymaker stressed the need for more evidence that inflation is on a sustained path to 2%. Treasury yields edged lower on the remarks.
U.S. initial jobless claims fall to a three-month low of 210,000. The data point reinforces views of a resilient labor market despite higher borrowing costs. Futures pricing shows only a 10% probability of a December rate hike.