US Big-Tech Mania Drives Developed-Market Stocks to Record

Optimism around the US economy and outsized gains in the country’s Big Tech firms, powered by artificial intelligence enthusiasm, helped underpin the climb, with growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will ease policy this year accelerating the advance since late 2023. Even as some policymakers temper bets that cuts are imminent, the appetite for stocks has remained intact, with the S&P 500 up 4.6% this year.

The US equity benchmark climbed 0.7% on Wednesday, led by communications-services and information-technology stocks. The gauge is again poised for a record close. The Nasdaq 100 was up 1%, extending an advance after megacap technology companies delivered solid results this earnings season and as AI excitement persists. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%.

Recent data has also affirmed the strength of the US economy, with payrolls rising the most in a year last month and the service sector expanding at the fastest pace in four months after coming close to stagnating at the end of 2023.

“Our economy is stronger than expectations coming into these data points, and strong economy equals strong earnings,” said Keith Buchanan, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT Investments. “And tech is such a big part of the indexes, it’s hard for the larger indexes not to follow megacap tech no matter what else is going on in the world — it just carries that much weight.”

Last week, strong reports from some of the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks, including Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. reignited optimism about the shares. AI posterchild Nvidia Corp. has also extended its rally this year with a nearly 40% rise.

The developed-market index surged more than 20% in 2023, its best year since 2019, as economies held up better than expected and optimism grew that central banks will pivot to easing.

In addition to AI-fueled gains in US technology stocks, Japanese equities also soared, as a weaker yen supported the earnings of heavy-weight exporters. Meanwhile, the euro zone unexpectedly avoided a recession.