Market

August 27, U.S. stocks opened on a mixed but tech-positive note as the Dow Jones slipped 0.1%, the S&P 500 edged up 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite vaulted 0.9%. Traders shrugged off a modest dip in blue chips and rotated into growth shares, encouraged by upbeat semiconductor demand signals and resilient corporate earnings.

Salesforce.com soars 13.4% after smashing quarterly estimates and lifting guidance, while NVIDIA spikes 6.8% to another record on anticipation of its next-generation AI GPU launch. Marvell Technology adds 3.7% on strong data-center orders, Intel climbs 3.0% after an analyst upgrade, and Micron Technology gains 2.5% on rising memory-chip pricing. On the downside, Yum China Holdings, Inc. falls 3.5% after trimming its sales outlook, PDD Holdings Inc slips 1.4% amid fresh regulatory headlines, Moderna, Inc. retreats 1.4% on soft vaccine revenue forecasts, and Advanced Micro Devices eases 0.6% in profit-taking.

Elsewhere, GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF leaps 13.4%, mirroring chip euphoria, while Gaotu Techedu Inc. jumps 7.5% on student-enrollment strength. Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Ltd rises 3.7% as Chinese cloud peers rally, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing adds 1.4% after unveiling new Arizona investment plans, and Tesla Motors inches up 0.3% following early Model 2 delivery reports. United Microelectronics drifts 1.2% lower despite sector strength, and Viomi Technology Co. sinks 8.0% on weak appliance demand.

News

Federal Reserve officials signal patience on rate cuts. Minutes from the latest FOMC meeting show policymakers want “greater confidence” that inflation is cooling before easing, tempering market hopes for a near-term pivot.

U.S. durable goods orders climb 0.6%. July data beat expectations, pointing to resilient business investment and supporting the day’s uptick in industrial names.

NVIDIA unveils next-gen "Blackwell" AI processor. Management said the chip delivers twice the performance per watt of the current flagship, bolstering investor conviction in the company’s data-center dominance.

Salesforce.com lifts full-year outlook after blowout quarter. Robust demand for AI-driven cloud products pushed subscription revenue to a record, igniting the stock’s double-digit jump.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. trims 2026 sales forecast. Management blamed slower consumer traffic and higher wage costs, prompting a 3% pullback in the ADR.

Tesla Motors begins initial Model 2 deliveries. Early handovers ahead of schedule eased concerns about production delays and supported a modest share rebound.

Micron Technology raises capital-expenditure plan. The memory giant cited accelerating AI server demand and expects supply constraints to tighten into 2027.

Moderna, Inc. secures U.S. government order for combined COVID-flu shot. The deal offers near-term revenue but guidance suggests pandemic vaccine demand will stay subdued.

HF Sinclair Corporation launches review of pipeline assets. A potential sale could unlock up to $2 billion and sharpen focus on renewable fuel initiatives, sending the stock modestly higher.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing approves $4 billion expansion in Arizona. The move aims to meet surging U.S. chip demand and qualifies the company for CHIPS Act incentives.