Markets end stronger ahead of tech results
U.S. equities finished the session in positive territory on Feb. 25, led by gains in technology shares ahead of a packed earnings slate. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.26%, outperforming the S&P 500, which rose 0.81%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.63%, while the Russell 2000 added 0.37%.
Technology and financial stocks provided most of the lift. Consumer staples and energy were the only S&P sectors trading slightly lower by the close.
Nvidia delivers major upside surprise
After the closing bell, Nvidia reported quarterly results that surpassed expectations across revenue, margins and forward guidance.
Q4 revenue: $68.1 billion vs. $65.91 billion expected
Data center revenue: $62.3 billion vs. $60.36 billion expected
Q4 gross margin: 75.2% vs. 74.7% expected
Adjusted EPS: $1.62
The company projected first-quarter revenue between $76.44 billion and $79.56 billion, well ahead of estimates of $72.78 billion. CEO Jensen Huang stated that computing demand is expanding rapidly. Hyperscalers accounted for just over half of fourth-quarter data center revenue.
Shares rose roughly 3% in after-hours trading. Semiconductor peers including Micron, TSMC and Broadcom also advanced.
Midday momentum and notable movers
Earlier in the day, optimism around data center partnerships involving Meta, Amazon and Oracle helped push the Nasdaq higher.
Among large-cap movers:
Top gainers:
Clear Secure surged 31.8% after strong earnings, a dividend increase and upbeat 2026 free cash flow guidance.
Circle Internet Group jumped 29.3% following record circulation and transaction volume growth.
Everus Construction Group gained 28.3% after posting record annual revenue and higher 2026 sales guidance.
Decliners:
GoDaddy fell 16% despite beating earnings, as analysts questioned its AI strategy.
Diageo dropped 15.2% after cutting guidance and its dividend.
Verra Mobility declined 14.75% following a disappointing earnings report.
Technical halt rattles metals trading
During the session, CME Group temporarily halted Globex metals and natural gas futures trading due to technical issues. Shares of CME declined about 1% intraday following the disruption.
Macro backdrop and commodities
Oil prices firmed, with WTI crude rising above $66 per barrel despite speculation that OPEC+ may consider increasing production.
Bank of America issued a bullish outlook on precious metals, projecting gold could eventually reach $6,000 per ounce amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty. Gold and silver both traded higher on the day.
Focus turns to additional earnings
Beyond Nvidia, investors await results from Salesforce and Synopsys as questions persist about artificial intelligence spending, software demand and broader market concentration risks.
With major indices still near historic highs, attention remains squarely on corporate results and forward guidance to determine whether the current rally can extend.
