Stock market on November 20: S&P 500 and NASDAQ halt their slide

Yesterday, US stock indices closed higher. The S&P 500 rose by 0.38%, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.59%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.10%.

Stocks surged after a confident earnings forecast from Nvidia Corp. eased concerns about a potential bubble in the artificial intelligence industry, which had recently unsettled markets worldwide. Nvidia's shares jumped by 5% during trading after the earnings report was released, driving up the stocks of other AI-focused companies. S&P 500 futures rose by 1.2%, and contracts on the Nasdaq 100 increased by 1.8%, as the easing of a key risk factor improved sentiment following a week of instability. Shares of Alphabet Inc. soared after a wave of positive reviews for the recently released version of its AI model, Gemini.

Asian indices also returned to growth for the first time in five days: Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed by 2.5%, and South Korea's Kospi, the symbol of the AI boom and one of the fastest-growing markets in the world this year, gained 2.9%. Bitcoin rose to $92,000. Treasury bonds stabilized after a slight decline in the previous session, as expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve diminished in light of unfavorable labor market outlooks.

Nvidia's strong performance helped restore a fragile calm after a week of active selling in tech stocks, as Wall Street grew concerned about inflated valuations and massive expenditures on AI infrastructure. Another key focus for investors is interest rate dynamics, as markets eagerly await the release of the September employment report, which will be published today.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced yesterday that it would not release the October employment report but would include wage data in the November statistics, which would be published after the last Fed meeting of 2025, scheduled for December.

As a result, the Fed is left without key economic data ahead of its final meeting this year. There is now an increasing likelihood that policymakers will maintain the key interest rate at 3.75-4%. The minutes from the October Fed meeting indicated just that. Many members of the central bank stated that it would likely be prudent to keep interest rates unchanged through the end of 2025.

Regarding the technical picture of the S&P 500, the primary task for buyers today will be to overcome the nearest resistance level of $6,727. This would help the index gain ground and open the possibility for a move to a new level of $6,743. Another priority for bulls will be to maintain control over the $6,756 mark, which would strengthen buyer positions. In the event of a downturn amid reduced risk appetite, buyers must assert themselves around $6,711. A break below would quickly push the trading instrument back to $6,697 and open the way to $6,682.