[NEW YORK] US stocks ended higher and the Nasdaq notched a record closing high for the second straight day on Friday (Aug 8) as technology-related shares, including Apple, gained and as investors were optimistic about potential interest rate cuts.
The three major indices also registered solid gains for the week.
Apple shares climbed 4.2 per cent on Friday and were up 13.3 per cent for the week in their biggest weekly percentage gain since 2020. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Apple would invest an additional US$100 billion in the US, bringing its total commitment to US$600 billion over the next four years.
The S&P 500 technology and communication services indices led sector gains for the S&P 500 on Friday and the indices also posted record high closes.
Also helping the S&P 500, shares of Gilead Sciences jumped 8.3 per cent after it raised its full-year financial outlook.
Recent weaker economic data has underpinned expectations for rate cuts, while investors are evaluating Trump’s interim pick for a Federal Reserve governor.
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The president late in Thursday’s session nominated Council of Economic Advisers Chair Stephen Miran to a short-term board seat following Adriana Kugler’s abrupt exit last week, as he narrowed his shortlist to succeed Fed chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends on May 15.
Miran, who is often aligned with Trump, has previously suggested Powell was “too late” in lowering rates.
“There are certainly investors who think if the Fed is going to cut rates then the overarching theme is, don’t fight the Fed on lower rates,” said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry Lane Investments, a family investment office in New Vernon, New Jersey.
“The other side of the equation has really been the tariffs, and how the tariffs turn out remains uncertain.”
Expectations for a rate cut of at least 25 basis points by the Fed at its September meeting stand at 89.4 per cent, according to CME’s FedWatch Tool, up from 80.3 per cent a week ago. Futures are pointing to at least two cuts by year-end.
Trump’s higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries kicked in this week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 206.97 points or 0.5 per cent to 44,175.61, the S&P 500 gained 49.45 points or 0.8 per cent to 6,389.45 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 207.32 points or 1 per cent to 21,450.02.
It was the Nasdaq’s 18th record closing high for 2025, with the index now up about 11 per cent for the year so far. The S&P 500 ended just shy of a record closing finish.
For the week, the S&P 500 rose 2.4 per cent, the Dow gained 1.3 per cent and the Nasdaq climbed 3.9 per cent.
A look at inflation trends will test the US stock market’s rally in the coming week, with some investors saying equities could be set for a pullback. The monthly US consumer price index report is due on Tuesday.
Investors also are monitoring US-India trade relations as New Delhi shelved fresh US arms and aircraft purchases, according to three Indian officials, after Trump hiked tariffs on Indian exports to 50 per cent this week.
Among other gainers Friday, shares of Expedia rose 4.1 per cent after the company raised its annual forecast for gross bookings and revenue growth.
With results in now from more than 450 of S&P 500 companies, estimated earnings growth for the second quarter was at 13.2 per cent on Friday, up from 5.8% on July 1, according to LSEG.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.37-to-1 ratio on the New York Stock Exchange. There were 272 new highs and 88 new lows.
On the Nasdaq, 2,442 stocks rose and 2,157 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.13-to-1 ratio.
Volume on US exchanges was 16.18 billion shares, compared with the 18.27 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. REUTERS
