S&P 500 Nears All-Time High as Wall Street Optimism Hits Fever Pitch

Wall Street's bull run shows no signs of slowing—the S&P 500 is charging toward record territory as traders double down on risk.

Why the rally won't quit

Institutional money keeps pouring in, retail FOMO is back, and even the Fed's hawkish whispers can't kill the vibe. Classic case of 'don't fight the tape'—until the music stops.

The cynical take

Another day, another ATH chase. Just remember: every 'this time it's different' rally eventually meets gravity. But hey, enjoy the free liquidity while it lasts.

Investors watch earnings, tariffs and inflation

After major banks reported revenue and earnings beats, Thursday saw PepsiCo, United Airlines, and Netflix release their results. The market also remained buoyant amid strong profits, retail sales, and jobless claims.

However, investors remain alert to the global trade and tariffs outlook, which has slightly cooled momentum following President Donald Trump’s announcements this past week. Also in focus is the Federal Reserve and interest rate policy, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell still under pressure from Trump.

The Fed signaled at its previous meeting that it WOULD hold steady on interest rates, diverging from recent moves by the European Central Bank and other global peers. Currently, traders see the odds of a Fed rate cut in September at roughly 56%.

According to CME’s FedWatch tool, the market has largely priced in nearly zero chance of a rate cut in July, but Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller has once again remarked that a Fed MOVE in July is okay.

Meanwhile, attention on the Fed and Powell intensified after the White House claimed the Fed Chair misled Congress regarding details of a $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. While TRUMP recently said he does not plan to fire Powell, he criticized the scale of the renovations and suggested it could be grounds for dismissal.