U.S. stocks inched higher midday Wednesday, as investors digested upbeat economic data while keeping an optimistic tone ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision and a wave of key tech earnings due after the bell.
- The QQQ ETF is on track for a fourth consecutive monthly gain. See the chart here.
The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Nasdaq added 0.4%, and the Dow Jones hovered near the flatline. Small-cap stocks outperformed, with the Russell 2000 up 0.6%.
Markets widely expect the Federal Reserve to keep rates steady at 4.25%-4.50%, but with two policymakers already showing preference for a cut, the decision could mark the most divided vote since 1993.
On the trade front, former President Donald Trump announced a new 25% tariff on Indian imports, set to take effect Aug. 1.
Advance GDP data showed the U.S. economy grew at an annualized 3.0% in the second quarter of 2025, a sharp rebound from the previous quarter's 0.5% contraction and well above the 2.4% consensus, powered by strong consumer spending and a decline in imports.
In the labor market, private payrolls rose by 104,000 in July, the strongest gain since March and a solid beat on the 75,000 forecast—reversing a contraction in June.
Commodities were in focus as WTI crude extended its rally, surging 1.5% on the day to hit $70 a barrel, driven by geopolitical tensions following Trump's new 10-day ultimatum to Russia over peace talks with Ukraine. The three-day gain now totals over 8%.
Gold slipped 1% to $3,290 per ounce as the U.S. dollar strengthened on the back of robust economic data. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) held steady around $118,000.
Wednesday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs
| Major Indices | Price | 1-day %chg |
| Russell 2000 | 2,257.27 | 0.6% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 23,396.45 | 0.4% |
| S&P 500 | 6,384.59 | 0.2% |
| Dow Jones | 44,654.85 | 0.0% |
According to Benzinga Pro data:
- The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) inched 0.1% higher to $584.81.
- The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) flattened at $446.50.
- The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) rose 0.3% to $569.07.
- The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) rallied 0.7% to $224.19.
- The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) outperformed, up 1%; the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) lagged, down 1%.
Wednesday’s Stock Movers
- Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) climbed 2.3%, poised to break a seven-day losing streak, after JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) announced a partnership with the crypto exchange that will allow Chase credit card holders to fund their Coinbase wallets and purchase cryptocurrencies.
- Stocks moving on earnings reports included:
- Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) up 0.8%
- UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) flat
- Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) up 1.2%
- Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) up 1.9%
- Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) up 0.7%
- Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) up 2.0%
- Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT) down 7.8%
- Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) down 6.0%
- Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) down 2.0%
- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) down 5.0%
- American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) up 3.8%
- Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) up 1.6%
- Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN) down 5.5%
- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) up 7.2%
- Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) up 3.2%
- Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) down 4.8%
- The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) up 2.3%
- WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC) up 0.5%
- Tradeweb Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:TW) up 4.9%
- GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GEHC) down 4.9%
- Arch Capital Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:ACGL) down 1.0%
- Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODFL) down 8.8%
- Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) up 7.4%
- Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXPN) up 5.1%
- Smurfit Westrock plc (NYSE:SMUR) down 2.1%
- PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) down 4.9%
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA) up 3.6%
- Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) down 4.7%
- Teradyne, Inc. (NASDAQ:TER) up 21.2%
- Fortive Corporation (NYSE:FTV) up 0.9%
Stocks slated to report earnings after the close:
- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB)
- American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)
- Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR)
- AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)
- Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW)
- Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA)
- Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH)
- Confluent, Inc. (NASDAQ:CFLT)
- DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM)
- eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)
- Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX)
- Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:EG)
- Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR)
- F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV)
- Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO)
- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE)
- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)
- GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL)
- Guardant Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:GH)
- Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX)
- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST)
- Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT)
- Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE:INVH)
- Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
- MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM)
- Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA)
- Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
- Public Storage (NYSE:PSA)
- Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU)
- PTC Inc. (NASDAQ:PTC)
- QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)
- Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)
- The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL)
- Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL)
- UDR, Inc. (NYSE:UDR)
- Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)
- VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI)
- Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC)
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