Stock Market Live UpdatesMajor Indexes Rally as Ceasefire Holds
The stock market continued its upward momentum on Wednesday, June 25th, 2025, with the S&P 500 inching closer to its all-time high as investors welcomed the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran. In midday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%, or about 125 points, while the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6%.
The S&P 500 now sits less than 1% away from its February record high, having rallied sharply over the past two days amid falling oil prices and easing geopolitical tensions. The Nasdaq 100 already reached a milestone yesterday, closing at its first record high since February.
“The market continues to demonstrate remarkable resiliency,” said Joe Terranova, senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners. “This is one of the most resilient markets that I have ever witnessed, consistently rebounding from various challenges throughout the year.”
Middle East Ceasefire Drives Market Optimism
The recent market rally has been fueled by hopes that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, brokered by President Donald Trump, will hold despite some overnight violations. The truce has significantly eased concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies, particularly fears that Iran might block the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices have continued their descent as the prospect of a lasting truce reduces worries about supply disruptions. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures have both moved toward levels seen before the outbreak of the conflict, with WTI crude falling more than 7% earlier this week to $68.51 a barrel.
“As Middle East tensions de-escalate, the focus will return to more fundamental concerns for investors such as tariffs, earnings, the federal deficit and President Trump’s economic policies,” said Chris Brigati, chief investment officer at SWBC.
Tech Sector Leads Market Gains
Technology stocks have been outperforming the broader market, helping to drive major indexes higher. The Technology Sector rose 1.6% on Tuesday, ahead of the S&P 500’s roughly 1% climb. Over the past 10 trading sessions, the tech sector has climbed 3% while the broader index is up 1.3%.
Bank of America analysts noted that tech inflows last week reached their highest level since June 2024, indicating renewed investor confidence in the sector.
Among the “Magnificent Seven” tech giants, Nvidia (NVDA) has shown particular strength, rallying 2% on Monday and continuing its upward trend today. The AI chipmaker is trading well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages after beating Wall Street’s expectations for its fiscal first quarter in late May.
Notable Stock Movers
Tesla (TSLA) shares have been volatile following the company’s recent robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas. After surging 8% on Monday, the stock has given back some gains amid reports that incidents involving its autonomous vehicles have caught regulators’ attention. Baird downgraded Tesla from outperform to neutral earlier this week, contributing to the pressure on the stock.
Apple (AAPL) shares edged higher today, continuing to build momentum after moving above its 50-day moving average. The company has faced challenges this year, with its stock down about 18.6% year-to-date as investors weigh the impact of tariffs on hardware sales and legal cases affecting its services business.
Microsoft (MSFT) gained approximately 1%, adding to its solid 11.6% gain for the year. The software giant crushed Wall Street’s targets for its fiscal third quarter and provided guidance above expectations for the current period.
Other notable movers include Amazon (AMZN), which recently hit a buy point of 214.84 in a cup-with-handle pattern, and Meta Platforms (META), which has been one of the strongest performers among mega-cap tech stocks with a 19.2% gain year-to-date.
Economic Data and Fed Watch
Investors are closely monitoring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee today. In his prepared remarks to the House Financial Services Committee yesterday, Powell reiterated his stance that the central bank can afford to hold interest rates steady for now.
“For the time being, we are well-positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell stated, even as President Trump has increased pressure on the Fed to cut rates.
Market participants are also awaiting new home sales data scheduled for release this morning, which could provide additional insights into the health of the housing market and broader economy.
Earnings in Focus
On the earnings front, investors are watching quarterly reports from several companies reporting today, including General Mills, Paychex, and Micron Technology.
FedEx (FDX) shares fell nearly 5% in after-hours trading yesterday after the package delivery company provided weaker-than-anticipated guidance for the current quarter, despite reporting better-than-expected earnings for its fourth fiscal quarter.
Looking Ahead
As the market approaches record territory, analysts remain cautiously optimistic about the path forward. “We are not looking for a massive rally from current levels, but believe that the path of least resistance is a grind higher,” said Mohit Kumar, an economist and strategist at Jefferies.
However, potential headwinds remain, including the possibility of reignited inflation from higher tariffs, uncertainty around trade policies, and ongoing geopolitical risks. Investors will be particularly focused on how companies are absorbing or passing on tariff price increases in the upcoming quarterly earnings season beginning in mid-July.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. stock market has demonstrated remarkable resilience this year. After tumbling into correction territory in March and flirting with a bear market in April, the S&P 500 has recouped its losses and is now up more than 3.5% year-to-date, with momentum appearing to favor further gains in the near term.