FX.co ★ US Stocks Recover in Afternoon Trading

US stocks experienced gains on Tuesday afternoon, fueled by growing optimism that the US government shutdown might soon conclude. The Dow Jones surged over 550 points, while the S&P 500 rose approximately 0.3%, with nearly three-quarters of its components experiencing gains. Investors shifted their focus to blue-chip and cyclical stocks, anticipating that a funding agreement would be approved by the House this week. Positive developments in the Senate regarding the reopening of government activities improved moods in sectors sensitive to economic shifts. Leaders in the healthcare sector, including Merck (up 4%), Amgen (up 3.1%), and Johnson & Johnson (up 2.2%), were significant contributors to the Dow's ascent. Expectations that resuming government operations would release postponed economic data and bolster short-term growth also contributed to a more optimistic outlook. Conversely, the tech-heavy Nasdaq saw a slight decline of about 0.2%, as stocks exposed to artificial intelligence faced renewed pressure. SoftBank's decision to sell its entire $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia negatively affected the sector, causing Nvidia to drop roughly 3%, and companies like Micron, Oracle, and Palantir each experienced losses exceeding 2%.