FX.co ★ S&P 500 Set for Best Quarter in 6 Years

US equity indices were little changed on Tuesday, as renewed stability in the technology sector and easing inflation concerns tempered market moves. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all ended only slightly higher, with the Dow closing at a fresh record high.

AI-related stocks held comfortably above last week’s lows, as investors looked past the brief bout of volatility in speculative AI names. Confidence was bolstered by robust outlooks from chipmakers, even as elevated capital spending by hyperscalers remained a concern. Shares of Nvidia, AMD, Sandisk, and Intel gained as much as 1.5%.

At the same time, oil prices hovered near their pre-war levels, helping to reduce the perceived risk that the Federal Reserve would need to resume interest-rate hikes. This more benign macro backdrop supported traditional, rate‑sensitive sectors that have heavier weightings in the Dow, contributing to the index’s outperformance in June. Alphabet, which joined the Dow on Monday, was more than 4% higher since its inclusion.

The broader market also remained firm, with the S&P 500 on track for a 14% gain in the second quarter—its strongest quarterly performance in six years.