Dow Jones Surges 300 Points Ahead of Fed Minutes as Nvidia Rallies on Meta Deal

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed roughly 300 points, or 0.65%, on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive session of gains as investors stepped back into equities following last week’s AI-driven selloff. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq Composite gained about 0.5%, led by semiconductor stocks and beaten-down mega-cap tech companies. Market attention now turns to the afternoon release of the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes, which could provide fresh clues on the central bank’s rate path for the rest of 2026. The Fed held rates at 3.50%–3.75% in January, and futures markets show a roughly 90% probability of no change in March, with the first rate cut now expected no earlier than June.


Nvidia Leads Semiconductor Rally on Meta Expansion


Nvidia Corporation jumped more than 2% after Meta Platforms Inc. expanded its AI chip partnership. Millions of Nvidia chips, including the new Grace CPUs and next-generation Vera Rubin GPUs, will be deployed across Meta’s US data centers. The announcement lifted sentiment across the semiconductor sector, though rival Advanced Micro Devices slid nearly 4% as Nvidia’s dominance in AI data center hardware was reinforced. Amazon.com Inc. also rose nearly 2% after filings revealed increased investment by a major shareholder, extending its recovery from a nine-day losing streak.


Palo Alto Networks Slumps on Weak Guidance


Palo Alto Networks dropped around 10% after issuing fiscal third-quarter guidance well below expectations, despite beating second-quarter revenue and earnings estimates. Analysts cited integration costs from its $25 billion CyberArk and $3 billion Chronosphere acquisitions as key pressures on profitability. Applied Digital Inc. shares also fell after Nvidia exited its $177 million stake in the company.


Garmin and Wingstop Deliver Stellar Earnings

Garmin Ltd. surged following a strong fourth-quarter report, with EPS and revenue well above forecasts and robust guidance for 2026. Meanwhile, Wingstop Inc. climbed over 13% after reporting better-than-feared same-store sales and an earnings beat, with guidance for flat to modest growth in domestic sales for the year.


Gold Tops $5,000 as Oil Rises on Geopolitical Tensions


Gold reclaimed the $5,000 per ounce mark amid expectations of a more accommodative Fed and ongoing structural demand, while crude oil jumped more than 2% to nearly $64 per barrel due to escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions and Iran nuclear concerns. December US housing starts came in stronger than expected at 1.4 million, though data releases were delayed due to earlier federal shutdown effects.


This session reflects a market cautiously regaining footing, balancing robust corporate earnings and tech optimism against geopolitical risks and close Fed scrutiny.