Markets
Luke Kawa

US stocks hit all-time highs as volatility disappears


The S&P 500 gained 0.25% on Tuesday to close at a record high.

More stocks in the benchmark US index have gone down than up in each of the first two sessions of the week, but the S&P 500 managed to climb both sessions. That’s the first time that’s happened in more than six months.

Utilities was the best-performing sector, up 0.9%, while energy stocks lagged.

A sense of calm is returning to markets, though Wednesday may change that with Nvidia earnings coming after the close. Trading volumes across US exchanges, which spiked during last week’s meme-stock mania, have largely normalized. The Cboe Volatility Index, a gauge of how much traders expect the S&P 500 will swing over the coming month, closed at its lowest level since November 2019.

Tesla was a standout performer, rising 6.7%. There was a lot of news surrounding the company — Pepsi announced plans to buy 50 of the electric vehicle maker’s Class 8 semi trucks, and a coalition of shareholders called CEO Elon Musk’s pay package a “abysmal failure” – though none of it appeared to be a clear catalyst for an advance of this magnitude.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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