The U.S. stock market is like a blazing locomotive hurtling down the tracks, leaving mere mortals in awe as it barrels through record after record. Last week saw the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices achieve dizzying new heights, adding to a staggering string of successes.
This exuberant surge, reminiscent of the legendary bull markets of yesteryears, reflects an unprecedented wave of optimism sweeping across Wall Street. Investors have witnessed an astonishing 16 out of 18 positive weeks, like a Broadway show receiving thunderous applause night after night. Since late October, the S&P 500 has soared by 25%, while the Nasdaq 100 has skyrocketed by an eye-popping 30%.
The radiance of this celestial market glow has not only propelled the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust to stratospheric heights but also thrust it into the exclusive $500 billion club – a remarkable milestone never before reached in the history of exchange-traded funds.
Chasing close behind the SPY are heavyweights like BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF with $442 billion in assets, and the venerable Vanguard S&P 500 ETF boasting $413 billion under its well-worn belt.
In a momentous day of milestones on Friday, the star-studded S&P 500 witnessed Nvidia Corp gliding effortlessly past the $2 trillion mark, Eli Lilly and Company treading on rich $700 billion soil, and Broadcom Inc. stealing the spotlight from the illustrious Tesla Inc. to claim the prestigious title of the eighth-most valuable company.
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Magnificent Five: S&P 500’s Top Performers of the Day
Behold the gallant knights of the stock market realm who led the S&P 500 charge on Friday:
| Stock Name | Sector | Price | 1-Day Return % |
|---|---|---|---|
| NetApp, Inc. | Information Technology | 106.93 | 19.98% |
| The Cooper Companies, Inc. | Health Care | 102.07 | 9.05 |
| Western Digital Corporation | Information Technology | 63.99 | 7.61 |
| Broadcom Inc. | Information Technology | 1,392.56 | 7.08 |
| DexCom, Inc. | Health Care | 121.19 | 5.32 |
S&P 500 Champions: Top 10 Performers Year-To-Date
Feast your eyes on the champions of the S&P 500 arena for the year thus far:
| Company | YTD Return | Market Cap |
| NVIDIA Corporation | 65.43% | $2,016B |
| Constellation Energy Corporation | 44.19% | $53.37B |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | 41.97% | $1,281.15B |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 36.55% | $325.24B |
| Eli Lilly and Company | 33.72% | $701.64B |
| Uber Technologies, Inc. | 31.30% | $167.86B |
| Applied Materials Inc. | 29.60% | $174.53B |
| Ralph Lauren Corporation | 28.68% | $11.86B |
| Tapestry, Inc. | 28.57% | $10.85B |
| Catalent, Inc. | 28.18% | $10.34B |
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