After spending much of the day in the red, all three major stock indexes managed to end Monday's trading session with scant gains despite a downgrade to U.S. debt and concerns over interest rate reductions. Health care firms helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average lead the positive trend on the stock market today.
The Dow led all indexes with a 0.3% climb. UnitedHealth stood atop the blue chip index as it rebounded nearly 8% after drastic losses last week. But the health insurance giant remains down around 38% so far this year and below all its moving averages. Also leading the way were biopharmas Merck and Amgen, each up more than 1%.
Nike lagged the most of all Dow components as it dropped nearly 2%. Chevron and Apple gave back more than 1%. But Nvidia wavered and ended the day slightly positive while Walmart pared losses after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke about the retail giant's approach to tariffs.
The Nasdaq composite spent most of the day in the red but managed a narrow gain at the close. Gilead Sciences and AppLovin were top performers here with lifts of more than 3% and in excess of 2%, respectively.
Grail lagged with a decline of more than 4% while electric-vehicle giant Tesla fell more than 2%.
Stock Market Today: Health Shines, Energy Lags
The S&P 500 wavered much of the day but ultimately finished 0.1% ahead. The benchmark index's sectors were mixed on the stock market today. Industrials and health care made the best gains while energy and consumer discretionary continued to lag.
Moderna and Dollar General were among the S&P's best performers. The former stock jumped more than 6% while the latter surged 5%.
Renewable energy play First Solar was a laggard as it plunged nearly 8%. Utility stock AES also struggled, dropping more than 4% despite coming off lows. Leaderboard stock Palantir Technologies also came off lows but remained down more than 2%.
Volume was mixed, falling on the New York Stock Exchange but rising on the Nasdaq vs. Friday, according to early data. Decliners barely outnumbered advancers on the Nasdaq and came in ahead 5-to-4 on the NYSE.
Despite Herculean efforts by major indexes to move into the black, the Russell 2000 index was bitten by the bears, falling 0.4%. The index continues to trade above its short-term and 50-day moving averages, but remains below its 200-day line.
Growth stocks outperformed though, with the Innovator IBD 50 exchange traded fund up 0.4%. Its gain for the year now sits at just over 2%.
3:45 p.m. ET
Fed's Bostic Sees One Rate Cut; Yields Come Off Highs
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said Monday that the tariffs unveiled by the Trump administration in April had been larger than central bankers had expected. And while the Federal Reserve's projections in March signaled two quarter-point rate cuts in 2025, Bostic struck a more cautious tone.
He told CNBC that he believes things are "going to take a bit longer" to sort out and that he is now "leaning much more into one cut this year."
Bostic also said that he is worrying more about the inflation side of the Fed's dual mandate and that expectations for higher prices "will make our job harder."
While the Atlanta Fed chief's views gave an indication into the thinking of central bankers, he is not currently a member of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee.
Meanwhile, Treasury yields were well off session highs. The 10-year Treasury note was up three basis points to 4.47%, while the 2-year dipped one basis point to 3.97%. The 30-year Treasury yield briefly rose 13 basis points to 5.03%. However, it backed off this level, and was up four basis points to 4.93%.
Stock Market Today: Bitcoin Up, Crypto Plays Mixed
Bitcoin plays were mixed in afternoon trade Monday even as the cryptocurrency itself rose.
Bitcoin has been performing well in recent weeks. The cryptocurrency was up slightly in the past 24 hours, and now sits just under the $105,500 level, according to CoinDesk. The digital currency is near its recent high of $106,505.02 and well off the 24-hour low of $102,227.51.
The iShares Bitcoin Trust exchange traded fund and the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF were each up more than 1% on the stock market today.
However, cryptocurrency exchange play Coinbase Global fell nearly 1%. Still, it remains comfortably above its 50-day moving average and its 200-day line, according to MarketSurge analysis.
Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, jumped nearly 3%. It is back above its 10-day moving average after testing support at the short-term technical benchmark. It is also above its major moving averages. It has made solid progress since getting support at the 200-day line in early April.
Bitcoin miner Hut 8, previously a member of the IBD 50 list of leading growth stocks, fell nearly 1%. It has been struggling in recent sessions to overcome resistance at the 200-day moving average. Rival mining play Riot Platforms lost 2%.
Mara, formerly known as Marathon Digital, remains within striking distance of its 200-day moving average despite skidding fractionally.
2:05 p.m. ET
Outside Dow Jones: Netflix Slips On This Despite Sesame Street Deal
Sesame Street character Count von Count will be busy for a while after the children's TV empire inked a deal, which has no set term, with Netflix to make the show available to audiences around the globe.
The streaming giant came to the iconic learning show's rescue after Warner Bros. Discovery decided last year not to renew its deal to air it on HBO. The latter channel is pivoting away from children's programming.
Sesame Street will continue to be available to American kids for free on PBS stations and on its PBS Kids digital platforms.
"This unique public-private partnership ensures children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on PBS Kids to the Sesame Street they love," Sesame Workshop Chief Executive Sherrie Westin said in a news release. "This combined support advances our mission and ensures we can help all children — everywhere — grow smarter, stronger, and kinder."
Netflix dipped on the stock market today despite the new deal. It fell after JPMorgan downgraded the stock to neutral from overweight.
However, the bank also lifted Netflix's price target to 1,220 from 1,150. In addition, TD Cowan maintained a buy rating with a raised price target to 1,325 from 1,150.
While Netflix was off session lows, it remained down fractionally. Nevertheless the stock, which has a best-possible IBD Composite Rating of 99, remains extended.
It's just below its 20% profit goal from a 998.70 entry. Netflix is a member of the IBD Leaderboard list of stocks.
Nvidia Stock Reverses Higher Amid This AI Move
Meanwhile, Nvidia managed to barely swashbuckle its way out of negative territory amid news it is to start selling semicustom artificial intelligence systems that use semiconductors from competitors. The firm said it is responding to customer requests with its new product initiative called NVLink Fusion.
"NVLink Fusion opens NVIDIA's AI platform and rich ecosystem for partners to build specialized AI infrastructures," CEO Jensen Huang said in a news release.
This new technology will allow customers to build AI infrastructure that uses central processing units, or CPUs, from other vendors along with Nvidia Blackwell graphics processing units, or GPUs. Alternatively, customers can use Nvidia Grace CPUs with custom artificial intelligence chips from other companies.
The initial CPU partners for NVLink Fusion are Fujitsu and Qualcomm. The likes of chip design software firms Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys have also joined the initiative.
Nvidia stock ticked higher after rallying out of negative territory. It sits clear of short-term and major moving averages.
Qualcomm was up 0.7%, Cadence Design Systems edged lower on the stock market today.
12:39 p.m. ET
Stock Market Today: More Stocks Test Buy Points
A number of issues were flirting with entries despite the day's challenging action. Payments stock Visa is in a buy zone above a consolidation entry of 366.54, MarketSurge analysis shows.
This is an early-stage base. Such patterns are more likely to net good gains for investors, Investor's Business Daily research has found.
Visa was already above an aggressive alternate entry of 351.86. The stock is bullishly trading above its 21-day line as well as its 50-day moving average.
Strong fundamental and technical performance has netted the stock an IBD Composite Rating of 96 out of a best-possible 99. Earnings are seen rising 13% this year and 12% in 2026.
Noteworthy backers include the lauded Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX), the MFS Growth Fund (MFEGX) and Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway. Visa stock has also just won a place on the prestigious IBD Leaderboard list of top stocks.
Ollie's Flirts With Buy Point
Discount retailer Ollie's Bargain Outlet, meanwhile, is flirting with a weekly chart consolidation entry of 119.76.
The relative strength line is bending higher but remains off recent highs for now.
All-around performance is good, with the stock's Composite Rating sitting at 92. However, earnings are a weakness, with its Earnings Per Share Rating coming in at 57 out of 99.
While per-share earnings fell 3% in the most recent quarter, full-year profits are expected to rise 14% in fiscal 2026. In total, 68% of shares are held by funds, according to MarketSurge data.
10:58 a.m. ET
Stock Market Today: Indexes Fall, Yields Up After U.S. Downgrade
The stock market opened lower after Moody's Investors Service downgraded the U.S. government credit rating from the top-level Aaa to Aa1 after the close Friday.
It said this "reflects the increase over more than a decade in government debt and interest payment ratios to levels that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns."
As a result, U.S. Treasury yields were higher across the board in early trading.
"(Moody's) cited the financing challenges tied to the federal government's growing budget deficit and the ramifications of rolling over existing U.S. debt in a period of high borrowing costs," B. Riley Wealth Management Chief Market Strategist Art Hogan said in a note to clients. "The debt downgrade is pressuring bond prices, sending yields higher, at a time when the economy is already under pressure from President Donald Trump's unfolding tariff policy.
Moody's followed the lead of Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings. The latter two already stripped the U.S. government of its top credit ratings.
Treasury Secretary Bessent said "Moody's is a lagging indicator," during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. He pointed the finger at the Biden administration for the current fiscal challenges.
Walmart Stock Falls After Bessent Tariff Comment
Walmart ended up in the firing line from Trump after Douglas McMillon, the retail giant's chief executive, warned prices would rise due to tariffs.
During the firm's earnings call he said that "given the magnitude of the tariffs," Walmart would not be "able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins."
Trump lashed out at the company on Truth Social over the weekend, saying that ""between Walmart and China they should, as is said 'EAT THE TARIFFS,' and not charge valued customers ANYTHING."
And it seems the words have already had an effect. Bessent was asked about the issue on "Meet The Press."
"I was on the phone with Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, yesterday, and Walmart is, in fact, going to, as you describe it, eat some of the tariffs, just as they did in '18, '19, and '20," Bessent said.
Walmart stock fell more than 1% on the stock market today. It continues to trade just above a cup-with-handle entry of 96.03, according to MarketSurge analysis.
While the stock has outperformed with a lift of around 7% so far this year, its EPS Rating of 71 is not ideal.
Outside Dow Jones: Insurance Stock Tests Entry
With IBD's recommended exposure level sitting at the 80%-100% level, it's a good idea to keep a watch for breakouts.
Insurance play WR Berkley briefly cleared a cup-with-handle entry of 73.42, MarketSurge analysis shows.
The stock's the relative strength line is bending higher after a recent dip as the handle formed. It also sits clear of its 50-day moving average.
Further, WR Berkley has a strong IBD Composite Rating of 96 out of a best-possible 99. It is in the top 8% of issues in terms of price performance over the past 12 months. It also has seen its price rise roughly 26% so far in 2025.
The stock holds an Earnings Per Share Rating of 87 out of 99. Profits are seen rising by just 4% this year. But analysts see that accelerating to 11% growth in 2026, according to MarketSurge data.
Please follow Michael Larkin on X at @IBD_MLarkin for more analysis of growth stocks.
