Stock futures are little changed as S&P 500 approaches its all-time high: Live updates

Wed, Apr 15 20264:12 PM EDT

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finished Wednesday’s session at record levels.

The broad market index gained 0.8% to end at 7,022.95, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 1.59% to 24,016.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 72.27 points, or 0.15%, to 48,463.72.

— Sean Conlon

Wed, Apr 15 20263:32 PM EDT

The NASDAQ Composite has surged into overbought territory Wednesday, with its RSI rising above 70 just 11 trading days after the index closed oversold on March 30. What stands out is the speed of the reversal: moves from oversold to overbought typically take several weeks or longer. At just 11 trading days, this is the fastest such swing in the data going back to the early 1980s.

RSI, or relative strength index, is a widely used technical indicator that measures the speed and magnitude of recent price moves, with readings below 30 typically considered oversold and above 70 overbought. Analysts sometimes use RSI to identify potential reversal points.

The move has coincided with a sharp 11-day rally in the index, its first such rally since November 2021. The index is up 15% over that period, its best 15-day period since March 2022.

— Nick Wells

Wed, Apr 15 20263:11 PM EDT

The Live Nation logo is displayed at a Live Nation corporate office on March 9, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.

Mario Tama | Getty Images

Shares of Live Nation Entertainment fell in late afternoon trading Wednesday after a Bloomberg report that a New York federal jury found the company had an illegal monopoly over the ticketing market.

The entertainment company, which also owns Ticketmaster, traded down more than 3% after the news. 34 states sued Live Nation alleging it has illegally dominated the market and thus elevated ticket prices for customers. The trial began six weeks ago.

LYV 1-day chart.

Wed, Apr 15 20263:01 PM EDT

Garmin Ltd. signage at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

On Wednesday, eight stocks in the S&P 500 traded at new all-time highs.

• EchoStar trading at all-time highs back to its IPO in December 2007
• Garmin trading at all-time highs back to its IPO in December 2000
• Bank of NY Mellon trading at all-time highs back to the merger between BNY (the first company listed on the NYSE) and Mellon Financial in 2007
• Interactive Brokers Group trading at all-time highs back to its IPO in May 2007
• Morgan Stanley trading at all-time highs back to its merger with Dean, Witter, Discover & Co in 1997
• Northern Trust trading at all-time high levels back to Feb, 1971 when it began trading on the NASDAQ
• State Street trading at all-time high levels back through our history to 1972
• Coherent trading at all-time highs back to its IPO in March 1990

Just two stocks traded at new 52-week lows: Conagra Brands and Campbell’s.

— Lisa Kailai Han

Wed, Apr 15 20262:22 PM EDT

The U.S. economy grew at a “slight to modest pace” over the past six weeks while consumers battled higher prices, resulting in more people reaching out for assistance, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

In the central bank’s periodic “Beige Book” accounting of activity, the 12 Fed districts reported that the Iran war as “a major source of uncertainty” for businesses. Price growth was reported as “moderate” even with a sharp rise in energy and fuel costs.

Consumers struggled to deal with the conditions, according to the report, which covered the prior six weeks.

“Many Districts continued to report signs of consumer financial strain, increased price sensitivity, and rising demand at food banks and other social service organizations, while spending among higher-income consumers was resilient,” the report stated.

Businesses said low- and moderate-income consumers were particularly hard hit, as “widespread trading down behavior persisted” amid “a rising number of requests for assistance.”

— Jeff Cox

Wed, Apr 15 20261:44 PM EDT

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

The S&P 500 scored a fresh all-time intraday high on Wednesday, rising 0.52% in afternoon trading to reach 7,003.82.

Its previous all-time intraday high was 7,002.28, which was hit on Jan. 28, 2026. If the index closes above 6,978.60, that will mark a fresh record close.

S&P 500, 1-day

Wed, Apr 15 20261:11 PM EDT

An aerial view shows Caterpillar equipment at an equipment rental store on April 7, 2026 in Naperville, Illinois.

Scott Olson | Getty Images

Here are the companies making headlines in midday trading:

• Nvidia – Shares of the chip giant popped about 1% as investors plowed money back into tech stocks. Nvidia is on pace for an 11th consecutive winning session, its longest stretch of daily gains on record.
• Caterpillar – The manufacturer of construction equipment dropped about 5%. Late Tuesday Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Caterpillar acquired Monarch Tractor, a self-driving electric tractor company.
• Nike – The sneakers manufacturer advanced more than 3% after the disclosure of key insider buying. CEO Elliott Hill disclosed the purchase of more than 23,000 shares, valued at about $1 million, while director Tim Cook snapped up 25,000 shares for $1.1 million.

Read here for the full list.

— Davis Giangiulio and Darla Mercado

Wed, Apr 15 202612:50 PM EDT

Shares of Autodesk have been slammed over concerns about artificial-disruption on software companies, but Jefferies believes those fears are not justified. The firm initiated coverage of the stock on Wednesday with a buy rating and $300 price target, which implies 31% upside from Tuesday’s close.

Analyst Brent Thill cited Autodesk’s trough valuation and solid fundamentals for the calls.

“ADSK is a durable double-digit grower with one of the highest EBIT [earnings before interest and taxes] margins (~38%) in the sector and a capital-light model,” he wrote in a note to clients. “Its vertical, physical asset design platform and proprietary AEC data create a moat that LLMs and vibe-coding cannot replace.”

Autodesk’s stock is down more than 19% year to date.

— Michelle Fox

Wed, Apr 15 202611:53 AM EDT

The New York Stock Exchange welcomes executives and guests of CRH (NYSE: CRH), today, Friday, September 22, 2023, to celebrate its transition to a US primary listing. To honor the occasion, Albert Manifold, Group Chief Executive, joined by Lynn Martin, NYSE President, rings The Opening Bell®.

NYSE

Well Fargo marked up its rating of CRH on Tuesday, citing sticky European demand and its 2025 acquisition of material supplier Eco Material.

The bank had downgraded CRH at the beginning of 2026 but said Tuesday that concerns about recent underperformance appear “overdone.”

“We think Europe-exposed demand can prove stickier than recent share performance implies,” equity researchers for Wells Fargo wrote on Tuesday. “We also expect further growth from continued M&A is not appreciated in recent valuation, with ample coincident capacity for shareholder returns.”

The bank’s share price target for the construction materials company remains at $135 based on a 12.5x enterprise value to EBITDA multiple, which they said is backed up by consistent free cash flows and successful past acquisitions.

— Tobias Burns

Wed, Apr 15 202611:05 AM EDT

Software stocks took another leg higher on Wednesday, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF rising more than 3% and now positive by almost 10% on the week.

While the ETF fell more than 7% last week on fears about Anthropic’s new AI model Claude Mythos, and how the technology will disrupt the software-as-a-service business model, a slew of names recovered this week.

The best performers on the Dow Jones Industrial Average in midday Wednesday trading were Microsoft and Salesforce, up nearly 4% and about 3%, respectively. Microsoft is now up 10% for the week, while Salesforce is up close to 7%.

On the S&P 500, Datadog and ServiceNow were some of the best performers, up 7% and 6%, respectively. Both are up double-digits for the week, with both surging more than 12%.

IGV five-day chart.

Wed, Apr 15 202610:43 AM EDT

The search for reliable safe havens has become increasingly difficult in this year’s volatile markets, according to strategists at UBS, who say traditional diversifiers have failed to provide consistent protection across recent bouts of stress.

Using a composite risk index spanning equity, rates and credit volatility, the bank identified two major “risk-off” episodes over the past two years — a tariff-driven selloff in early 2025 and an oil shock in 2026.

Havens that performed well during last year’s turmoil — including gold, the yen, the euro and government bonds such as Treasuries and Bunds — failed to shield investors during the latest oil-driven volatility. Meanwhile, assets that gained during the 2026 selloff, including a broad commodity index and the trade-weighted dollar, did little to offset losses in the earlier episode.

That leaves the U.S. dollar as the closest thing to a reliable refuge, though even that signal may be overstated. UBS noted that the greenback’s strength at the onset of the Middle East conflict appeared partly driven by a positioning washout rather than pure flight-to-safety demand.

— Yun Li

Wed, Apr 15 202610:10 AM EDT

Mike Mayo, managing director and senior banking analyst for Wells Fargo Securities.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Shares of Bank of America rose 1.5% Wednesday after earnings topped expectations, with Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo pointing to a surge in capital markets activity and improving efficiency as key drivers.

The beat was fueled by strong investment banking and record equities trading, alongside positive operating leverage and ongoing share buybacks, Mayo noted.

Still, Mayo noted some offsets, including flat deposit growth across the firm and softness in the consumer business. He maintained an overweight rating on the stock with a $65 price target, citing solid credit performance and momentum in fee-driven businesses.

— Yun Li

Wed, Apr 15 20269:32 AM EDT

The three major averages began Wednesday’s session in positive territory.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, along with the Nasdaq Composite. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 157 points, or 0.3%.

— Sean Conlon

Wed, Apr 15 20268:49 AM EDT

U.S. President Donald Trump looks at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holding a document during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building, which is currently undergoing renovations, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2025.

Kent Nishimura | Reuters

President Donald Trump on Wednesday again threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and said the probe into the renovation of the central bank’s headquarters needs to continue.

If Powell stays on as a Fed governor after his successor is confirmed, Trump said he’ll have him removed from office.

“Then I’ll have to fire him,” the president said during an interview on Fox Business. “If he’s not leaving on time — I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial. I want to be uncontroversial.”

Read more here.

— Jeff Cox

Wed, Apr 15 20268:13 AM EDT

Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket:

• Broadcom — The chipmaker jumped more than 2.5% after it announced with Meta a plan to deliver 1 gigawatt of custom chips, with further plans to deliver multiple gigawatts in the future using Broadcom’s technology. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan also said he’d be stepping down from Meta’s board.
• Robinhood, Webull — Shares of the financial services platforms jumped on news that the Securities and Exchange Commission will end limits on day-trading for smaller, retail investors. Robinhood was up more than 5.5%, while Webull jumped 6%.
• First Solar — Shares jumped more than 4.5% on a Reuters report that China is considering limiting solar power equipment exports to the U.S. The report noted China makes about 80% of the world’s solar panel equipment.

Read the full list here.

— Davis Giangiulio

Wed, Apr 15 20267:40 AM EDT

Morgan Stanley signage on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of Morgan Stanley rose more than 2% in the premarket on Wednesday after the firm posted better-than-expected first-quarter results.

Morgan Stanley reported $3.43 in earnings per share on $20.58 billion in revenue, while analysts surveyed by LSEG were expecting earnings of $3 per share and revenue of $19.72 billion.

MS, 1-day

Wed, Apr 15 20266:57 AM EDT

Bank of America shares gained more than 1% after the banking giant posted better-than-expected results for the first quarter.

The bank earned $1.11 per share on revenue of $30.43 billion. Analysts expected a profit of $1.01 per share on revenue of $29.93 billion. BofA’s strong results were bolstered by its equity sales and trading unit.

BAC rises

Wed, Apr 15 20266:37 AM EDT

Evan Spiegel co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 7, 2025.

Mike Blake | Reuters

SNAP jumps

Wed, Apr 15 20263:57 AM EDT

Asia-Pacific markets broadly rose Wednesday, tracking overnight gains in U.S. stocks, amid rising hopes of a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.

South Korea’s Kospi ended the session 2.07% higher at 6,091.39, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 2.72% at 1,152.43. Shares of information technology services provider Samsung SDS rose 17.89% following news that private equity firm KKR would invest about $820 million in its convertible bonds.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.44% higher at 58,134.24, while the Topix rose 0.40% to 3,770.33. Shares of Suntory Beverage & Food rose 1.24% following a Nikkei report that its parent company would buy Daiichi Sankyo‘s over-the-counter pharmaceutical unit for about $1.2 billion to expand its health business.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 index bucked regional gains, ending the session down 0.34% at 4,685.24, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.43% in its last hour of trade. China’s finance ministry said it would issue 15.5 billion yuan-denominated treasury bonds in Hong Kong on April 22, according to Reuters.

India’s Nifty 50 gained 1.56% as of 3:50 a.m. ET after trading resumed following a holiday on Tuesday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 ended flat.

Oil prices saw choppy trading. The West Texas Intermediate was down 0.60% at $90.75 per barrel as of 3:50 a.m. ET. Brent crude was trading flat at $94.84 per barrel.

— Justina Lee

Wed, Apr 15 20261:07 AM EDT

MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 13: A customer fills their vehicle with fuel at a gas station on April 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Oil prices rose in choppy trading Wednesday after settling sharply lower the day before, amid rising optimism that the Middle East conflict could see a diplomatic resolution.

Oil reversed early losses to trade higher. The West Texas Intermediate rose 0.47% at $91.72 per barrel as of 12:49 a.m. ET. Brent crude gained 1.03% to $95.77 per barrel.

A second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations are being considered, though no official schedule has been set, a White House official told CNBC on Tuesday. 

President Donald Trump later said the talks could take place “over the next two days” in Islamabad, according to the New York Post. 

Tue, Apr 14 20269:56 PM EDT

Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains in U.S. stocks, as oil prices fell amid rising hopes of a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.

South Korea’s Kospi advanced 2.95% while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 1.98%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 0.67% higher, while the Topix rose 0.49%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.10%.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 index was up 0.41%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was 0.95% higher. China’s finance ministry said it will issue 15.5 billion yuan-denominated treasury bonds in Hong Kong on April 22, according to Reuters.

The West Texas Intermediate was down 0.65% at $90.68 per barrel as of 9:45 p.m. ET. Brent crude fell 0.34% to $94.47 per barrel.

— Justina Lee

Tue, Apr 14 20268:03 PM EDT

Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Meta Platforms said it has agreed to deploy 1 gigawatt of custom artificial intelligence chips using Broadcom‘s technology.

The two companies have extended an existing partnership to design the social media giant’s custom in-house AI accelerators through 2029. Shares of Broadcom were last up 3%, while Meta was up less than 1%.

Broadcom shares in the past day

Tue, Apr 14 20268:03 PM EDT

Tue, Apr 14 20266:31 PM EDT

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

NYSE

Major U.S. stock indices are soaring as energy prices dipped on Tuesday and producer prices came in cooler than expected.

The Nasdaq Composite finished about 1.96% up on the day, marking its 10th positive session in a row for the first time since its 11-day streak ending in November 2021.

The biggest positive mover in the index was Nvidia at +88 points and the biggest daily declines were from Intel at -9 points.

The S&P 500 finished up 1.18%, hitting its ninth positive session in 10. The Dow Industrials rose 0.66%, hitting its fourth positive session in five.

The positive moves come as energy prices declined amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. West Texas Intermediate crude oil for May delivery lost nearly 8% and settled at $91.28 per barrel, and global benchmark Brent crude finished the day down 4.6%, ending at $94.79 per barrel.

President Donald Trump told the New York Post Tuesday that talks with Iran could resume over the next two days.

Producer prices came in softer than expected on Tuesday, offering some relief about the effects of inflation in coming months coming as a result of the war.

The producer price index, which measures pipeline costs for final demand goods, increased by 0.5% in March — less than half of the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 1.1%

—Tobias Burns and Christopher Hayes

Tue, Apr 14 20266:28 PM EDT

Michael Dell said Tuesday that more investment is needed to build up semiconductor manufacturing, given the mismatch in capacity and demand.

“There is a lot of investment that’s going into it, but you also have to understand that the demand is just growing much faster than anybody anticipated,” the Dell Technologies founder and CEO said on stage at the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, DC. “There’s sort of a mismatch in the timing of how fast the demand signal is changing relative to the planning cycle.”

Shares of Dell Technologies have surged this year as demand grows for its AI-enabled servers. They’re up nearly 50% year to date.

Dell Technologies, YTD

Tue, Apr 14 20266:02 PM EDT

Stock futures traded near flat on Tuesday night.

Futures tied to all three major averages were trading around the flatline shortly after 6 p.m. ET.

— Lisa Kailai Han