Today At A Glance:

Stocks ripped higher as Washington moved closer to a deal to end the record federal shutdown, sparking a broad risk-on rally led by AI winners. The Nasdaq logged its best day since May, with Nvidia and Palantir spearheading gains, while cyclicals and small caps also joined in. Health insurers lagged after reports the funding deal would not include an extension of ACA subsidies, setting up a separate December vote. Treasury yields drifted higher alongside equities as reopening optimism built. Into the close: S&P 500 +1.5%, Nasdaq +2.3%, Dow +0.8%.

Today’s Index Performance:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average — The Dow opened today at 47,095.06 and closed today at 47,368.54, with the percentage change of +0.81%.
• S&P 500 — The S&P 500 opened today at 6,785.36 and closed today at 6,832.47, with the percentage change of +1.54%.
• Nasdaq Composite — The Nasdaq opened today at 23,354.85 and closed today at 23,527.17, with the percentage change of +2.27%.

Gainers Of Note:

• Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) — AI/analytics platform; rallied ~9% as AI leaders rebounded and hopes for a shutdown resolution lifted risk appetite.
• Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) — Data storage & memory; jumped ~7% on momentum from strong recent results and renewed AI/hyperscale demand enthusiasm.
• Micron (NASDAQ: MU) — Memory/AI chips; climbed ~6% with semis broadly higher on the same AI tailwinds.

Losers Of Note:

• Centene (NYSE: CNC) — Managed care; fell ~9% after indications the shutdown deal would move forward without extending ACA premium subsidies, injecting policy uncertainty.
• Humana (NYSE: HUM) — Health insurer; slid ~5% on the same subsidy headline pressure that hit the group.
• Elevance Health (NYSE: ELV) — Managed care; down ~4%–5% amid sector-wide repricing tied to the subsidy delay.

Active Traders Of Note:

• Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) — AI semis; heavy volume as shares snapped back with the tech-led rally and shutdown optimism.
• Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) — E-commerce/cloud; active as megacap growth paced the rebound and investors rotated back into AI beneficiaries.
• Metsera (NASDAQ: MTSR) — Obesity-drug developer; brisk trading after Pfizer won the bidding war, sending Metsera lower while competitors reacted.

Looking Forward:

If Congress finalizes a reopening plan, expect a data catch-up week: delayed economic releases could quickly reshape rate-cut odds and sector leadership. Tech strength can persist if AI-capex narratives stay upbeat, but watch whether insurers and other policy-sensitive groups stabilize as the December subsidy vote approaches. With indexes back near highs, the tape is likely to reward clean beats and credible guidance while punishing weak outlooks more sharply.

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