U.S. stocks rebounded in Tuesday’s session as AI-disruption anxiety cooled, pushing the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) up 1.04% and the S&P 500 (^GSPC) up 0.77% into Wednesday’s pre-market ahead of Nvidia earnings. The move came as traders rotated back into select semis and tech-linked cyclicals—most notably Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which closed up 8.77% after news tied to Meta Platforms (META) and AI infrastructure demand. (Verified Yahoo Finance market data; AMD narrative: CNBC)
Key Takeaways:
- You’ll get the exact closing levels for the S&P 500 (^GSPC), Nasdaq (^IXIC), and Dow (^DJI) from Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026—and what changed versus Monday’s risk-off tape.
- You’ll see where the biggest single-stock volatility concentrated (AMD, KEYS, IBRX, ZETA) and which headlines mattered most for positioning.
- You’ll leave with a practical checklist for Wednesday: Nvidia’s (NVDA) earnings catalyst, tariff-policy uncertainty, and cross-asset signals from gold, oil, and bitcoin.
Prerequisites
- You should be comfortable separating verified closes (Yahoo Finance session data) from headline-driven narratives (company news, policy commentary).
- You need a way to track earnings timing (your broker calendar) and event risk (alerts for NVDA, META, AMD, and macro headlines).
Market Overview
In the most recent completed U.S. session (Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026), all three major indexes closed higher:
| Index (Tue, Feb. 24, 2026 close) | Close | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (^GSPC) | 6,890.07 | +52.32 | +0.77% |
| Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) | 22,863.68 | +236.41 | +1.04% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) | 49,174.50 | +370.44 | +0.76% |
Tuesday’s rebound matters because it followed Monday’s sharp risk-off drop (Dow -1.66%, S&P 500 -1.04%, Nasdaq -1.13%), which had been framed around tech/AI disruption fears. That “down hard, then snap back” pattern often increases dispersion—indexes stabilize while single-name winners and losers gap around earnings, AI capex headlines, and policy risk. (Monday close recap source: CNBC)
Forward signal: with the Nasdaq already back to a 22,895.48 intraday high on Tuesday (range 22,528.26–22,895.48), the market is effectively telling you it will trade “through” fear—until a catalyst (NVDA earnings, tariff implementation details, or yields) forces a repricing.
Outlook and Key Events Ahead
Economic Calendar
The highest-frequency macro driver in this tape is not a single data print—it’s the policy-and-confidence channel created by tariff uncertainty and shifting rate-cut expectations. Edward Jones’ Feb. 24 recap explicitly flagged trade uncertainty after the Supreme Court tariff decision and said U.S. Customs and Border Protection implemented a new 10% global tariff overnight, with the administration exploring alternative legal paths to reinstate tariffs. (Edward Jones)
Separately, Fed messaging is not one-directional. Fed Governor Christopher Waller “broke ranks” in comments suggesting rate cuts could resume as soon as next month to prevent further economic weakness, according to Yahoo Finance. That’s a material input for duration-sensitive growth names—especially if earnings don’t justify multiples. (Yahoo Finance)
What to watch next: if tariff uncertainty tightens financial conditions (wider credit spreads, weaker capex guidance), the market may start pricing cuts more aggressively—supporting high-multiple tech—until inflation data blocks the path. That tension is the core “macro swing factor” for the next several sessions.
Earnings Watch
Nvidia (NVDA) is the week’s fulcrum. CNBC and other outlets have been positioning NVDA earnings as the next major catalyst for AI sentiment, and Edward Jones specifically pointed to “NVIDIA’s earnings tomorrow” as the next key event. (Edward Jones; NVDA setup discussion: MSN)
Why it matters for positioning: Tuesday’s AMD (AMD) surge and broader tech rebound suggests investors are willing to re-risk into AI infrastructure if they can anchor on demand visibility. But that also raises the bar: any sign of decelerating AI capex or margin compression can hit the whole complex (NVDA, AMD, and adjacent suppliers) quickly.
Other notable “volatility nodes” from the verified earnings calendar include:
- Keysight Technologies (KEYS) — closed Tuesday at $301.48 (+23.05%) (verified session data), with earnings listed this week (EPS est $1.73).
- ImmunityBio (IBRX) — closed Tuesday at $11.55 (+17.50%) (verified session data), with earnings listed this week (EPS est -0.08).
- ONEOK (OKE), Dominion Energy (D), Diamondback Energy (FANG), Domino’s Pizza (DPZ), BWX Technologies (BWXT), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) — all on the calendar with listed estimates (verified earnings calendar).
Central Bank & Policy
In the U.K.,
In the U.K., the Bank of England is “widely expected to keep interest rates steady at 5.25% on Thursday,” per Yahoo Finance. That’s relevant for European risk assets and global banks, and it can spill into U.S. futures via rates and FX correlations.
That’s relevant for European risk assets and global banks, and it can spill into U.S. futures via rates and FX correlations. (Yahoo Finance)Policy headline risk remains elevated. CNBC’s State of the Union takeaways underscore that the political backdrop is active, which tends to keep tariff and industrial-policy headlines in play. (CNBC)
Technical Levels & Sentiment
Confirmed facts: the S&P 500 (^GSPC) traded in a 6,815.43–6,899.17 range Tuesday and closed at 6,890.07. The Nasdaq (^IXIC) traded 22,528.26–22,895.48 and closed at 22,863.68. (Verified market data.)
Analysis: the S&P 500 closing near the top of its session range suggests buyers defended the rebound into the close—often a sign that traders didn’t want to be underexposed ahead of the next catalyst (NVDA). The risk is that this becomes “good-news fully priced” if NVDA guidance or AI capex commentary disappoints.
Risks & Catalysts
- AI labor and productivity narrative: JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said AI is reshaping the workforce and pointed to a nearly $20 billion annual tech budget. That’s a reminder that AI spend is real—but it also implies disruption pressure for software and services labor models. (CNBC)
- Big Tech org changes: CNBC reported the head of Amazon’s (AMZN) AGI lab is leaving. Leadership shifts can be noise, but in an AI “arms race” tape they can affect sentiment and recruiting narratives. (CNBC)
- Physical supply-chain and industrial policy: Apple (AAPL) said it will move some Mac Mini production to the U.S. this year as part of a $600 billion commitment to U.S. manufacturing. That intersects directly with tariff uncertainty and “domestic capacity” positioning. (CNBC)
- Geopolitics and energy: CNBC previewed the next round of U.S.-Iran talks as Trump threatens Tehran; oil has been hovering near multi-month highs per Edward Jones’ narrative, and that can reprice inflation expectations quickly if crude accelerates. (CNBC; Edward Jones)
Continuity note: our earlier coverage flagged tariff-policy volatility as a first-order driver for cross-asset hedging and sector rotation. That theme remains active, and Tuesday’s rebound looks more like “positioning reset” than “uncertainty resolved.” See our breakdown of the Supreme Court tariff decision and market implications.
Top Movers
| Ticker | Price (Feb. 24 close) | Change % | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keysight Technologies (KEYS) | $301.48 | +23.05% | Big upside move into an earnings-heavy week for the tape; high-beta positioning in test/measurement tied to tech capex (earnings calendar; price from verified market data). |
| ImmunityBio (IBRX) | $11.55 | +17.50% | Risk-on appetite for high-vol biotech ahead of scheduled earnings (earnings calendar; price from verified market data). |
| Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT) | $71.96 | +17.18% | Semicap-adjacent momentum as investors reposition ahead of Nvidia earnings (NVDA catalyst context: Edward Jones; price from verified market data). |
| Zeta Global (ZETA) | $16.98 | +13.35% | High-beta software/marketing-tech rebound as AI fears “receded” in the session narrative (session framing: Edward Jones; price from verified market data). |
| Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) | $213.84 | +8.77% | Meta (META) AI chip deal and rack-scale system headline; investors bid AMD as an AI infrastructure beneficiary (source: CNBC; price from verified market data). |
| Workday (WDAY) | $130.23 | +0.79% | Closed slightly higher in the verified tape even as CNBC reported the stock sank after-hours on weak revenue guidance—an example of why you must separate cash-session closes from post-close reactions (source: CNBC; price from verified market data). |
| Ford (F) | $14.20 | +4.11% | Old-economy/value participation consistent with the growth-to-value rotation narrative flagged by CNBC (source: CNBC; price from verified market data). |
| Leonardo DRS (DRS) | $43.82 | +14.89% | Defense-linked momentum as defense/AI headlines stay active (Anthropic defense deadline context: CNBC; price from verified market data). |
Forward signal: the biggest moves clustered in AI-adjacent infrastructure (AMD, UCTT, KEYS) and high-beta risk (IBRX, ZETA), which is typical of a “relief rally” ahead of a major earnings catalyst (NVDA). If Nvidia disappoints, these are also the names that can unwind first.
Sector Performance
Tuesday’s tape was a tech-led rebound in index terms (Nasdaq outperformed), but the more important story is rotation stress: CNBC highlighted money leaving growth for value, and Edward Jones noted rotation toward energy, materials, staples, and industrials adding resilience to diversified portfolios. (CNBC; Edward Jones)
Practical read-through for investors: you’re in a regime where AI winners can rally while AI-disruption losers still de-rate. That split is why single-name diligence matters more than index exposure—especially in software, where Edward Jones cited the S&P 500 software industry down roughly 32% from its October peak (per its recap narrative). (Edward Jones)
Continuity: we’ve been tracking how narrative breaks can hit specific names even when indexes stabilize. For a current example in autos/EVs, see our Tesla Europe registrations analysis and what it implies for TSLA investors.
Macroeconomic Developments
Rates and bonds: Edward Jones said bond yields declined, citing the 10-year Treasury yield at 4.03% in its Tuesday recap. That’s consistent with a “risk assets up, hedges still owned” environment where investors are buying duration as insurance while selectively adding equity risk. (Edward Jones)
Trade policy: The same Edward Jones note flagged uncertainty around tariff implementation and potential refunds, which can delay business spending and hiring decisions—an underappreciated channel that hits industrials, retailers, and capex-heavy tech simultaneously. (Edward Jones)
AI as a macro force: The AI disruption narrative is now explicitly being treated as a cross-sector macro factor, not just a tech story. CNBC highlighted “Big Short” traders discussing bets amid AI disruption across sectors, reinforcing that the market is trying to price second-order effects (labor, pricing power, competitive moats). (CNBC)
Forward signal: if yields keep falling while equities rise, the market is leaning toward a “softening growth + policy uncertainty” mix—supportive for long-duration tech until earnings or inflation breaks the narrative.
Commodities and Global Markets
Cross-asset markets confirmed that hedging demand remains active even during an equity rebound:
- Gold (GC=F) closed at 5,194.40/oz, up 0.75%.
- WTI crude (CL=F) closed at $65.79/bbl, up 0.24%.
- Bitcoin (BTC-USD) closed at 65,365.82, up 2.01%.
(All from verified market data for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.)
Why it matters: gold firming while equities rebound is consistent with the tariff/geopolitical uncertainty channel staying “priced” in portfolios. If oil starts to accelerate on U.S.-Iran headlines, that would be the cleanest path to a renewed inflation scare and a rates repricing. (U.S.-Iran talks preview: CNBC)
Continuity: this aligns with our recent work on hedges staying bid. If you’re managing precious-metals exposure, see our gold markets outlook as prices surged above $5,000.
Common Pitfalls or Pro Tips
- Don’t mix session closes with after-hours reactions. Workday (WDAY) closed at $130.23 (+0.79%) in Tuesday’s session (verified), but CNBC reported the stock sank after-hours on weak revenue guidance. Treat these as two different markets with different liquidity and risk. (CNBC)
- Anchor AI trades to the next catalyst, not the last headline. Tuesday’s AMD (AMD) move is real and verified (+8.77%), but the “next” pricing event is Nvidia (NVDA) earnings. If you’re long AI infrastructure, define what you’ll do if NVDA guidance resets expectations for the whole stack.
- Use cross-asset confirmation. When gold (GC=F) rises alongside equities, that often signals tail-risk hedging demand rather than pure risk-on. If oil (CL=F) joins the move, the macro regime can shift quickly.
Conclusion
Tuesday’s rebound put the market back into “catalyst mode”: indexes recovered, but the real action concentrated in AI infrastructure and high-beta names. Your highest-value prep for Wednesday is mapping exposure to Nvidia (NVDA) earnings, tariff-policy uncertainty, and the cross-asset tells (gold, oil, yields) that can flip sentiment fast.
Next steps: tighten your watchlist around AMD (AMD), Nvidia (NVDA), Meta (META), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), JPMorgan (JPM), and the high-vol movers from Tuesday (KEYS, IBRX, ZETA), then pre-define risk for post-earnings gaps.