US stock market surges today after record fall: Dow jumps 278 points as S&P 500 and Nasdaq turn green – Gold, Silver and Bitcoin crash sharply

US stock market today witnessed a significant divergence as the Dow Index climbed while the broader S&P 500 and Nasdaq remained nearly flat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 278.28 points, or 0.57%, to 49,082.34. The S&P 500 ended nearly flat at 6,838.49, up just 0.01%. The Nasdaq Composite added 13.54 points, or 0.06%, to 22,640.81. Investors balanced strong AI-driven tech momentum against rising global tariff fears and geopolitical tensions.

This market move comes as President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariff officially took effect Tuesday, with the White House reportedly preparing a formal order to raise duties to 15%. At the same time, tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain elevated.

The session's biggest winner was AMD. Shares jumped 6% after Meta announced a landmark multiyear partnership with the semiconductor company. Meta will deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD graphics processing units across its AI data centers. That's an enormous infrastructure commitment. Meta also agreed to invest directly in AMD through a performance-based warrant covering up to 160 million shares — a move that aligns both companies' long-term interests.


This deal follows Meta's announcement last week that it's deploying millions of Nvidia chips in its own data center buildout. Meta is clearly hedging its AI chip supply across multiple vendors. That's a smart strategy given ongoing chip supply constraints and geopolitical risk around semiconductor supply chains.

Nvidia, despite the competition, held relatively firm. NVDA shares dipped just 1% to $191.55, still within striking distance of its 52-week high of $212.19. Trading volume was massive — 172 million shares exchanged hands. Investors aren't abandoning Nvidia. They're simply watching a market where AI chip demand is large enough for multiple winners.

Novo Nordisk had a brutal session. Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical giant — best known for its GLP-1 weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — cratered 16.43% to $39.63. Volume hit 99 million shares. The stock is now trading near its 52-week low of $39.34, having fallen from a high of $93.80.

Cryptocurrencies extended their pullback across the board.

Bitcoin fell 2.16% to $63,204. Ethereum dropped 1.66% to $1,823.17. XRP slipped 1.77% to $1.33. The Nasdaq Crypto Index fell 2.45% to 3,041.21. These moves reflect a broader reduction in speculative risk-taking — consistent with the tariff anxiety weighing on equities and gold simultaneously.

In short, Wall Street is rotating around AI growth, trade war fears, and commodity volatility — all at once.

Dow Jones today: why did the Dow rise while S&P 500 and Nasdaq stayed flat?

The Dow Jones outperformed broader indexes because investors rotated into industrial and blue-chip names as a defensive hedge against trade uncertainty. A 278-point gain may look modest in percentage terms, but at current index levels near 49,000, that move signals steady institutional buying.

The S&P 500’s marginal 0.01% gain shows hesitation. Large-cap tech and cyclicals offset each other. The Nasdaq’s 0.06% increase reflects selective AI enthusiasm but broader caution after Monday’s selloff tied to fears of AI disruption across industries.

Traders are watching Trump’s State of the Union address closely. Markets want clarity on tariff escalation. If duties rise from 10% to 15%, corporate margins could tighten, especially in manufacturing and global supply chains.

AMD stock surges 6% after Meta AI data center deal

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices jumped 6% after Meta Platforms unveiled a multiyear agreement to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD’s graphics processing units for artificial intelligence data centers. Meta will also receive performance-based warrants tied to up to 160 million AMD shares.

This is significant. Six gigawatts of GPU capacity represents one of the largest AI infrastructure commitments announced this year. It signals Meta’s aggressive push into generative AI and large language model scaling.

Interestingly, Nvidia shares were down 1% despite Meta confirming it is using millions of Nvidia chips in its data center expansion. The slight pullback likely reflects profit-taking after Nvidia’s strong rally and concerns about AI competition from AMD.

The AI chip war is intensifying. Investors are now pricing in a more competitive GPU landscape rather than a single-company dominance story.

Commodities update: oil rises, gold drops sharply

Energy markets moved higher. WTI crude oil climbed 0.53% to $66.66 per barrel. Brent crude gained 0.64% to $70.99. Oil prices remain supported by geopolitical tensions and potential supply risks.

Natural gas fell 1.01% to $2.96, reflecting seasonal demand shifts.

Gold prices dropped sharply by $91.80, or 1.76%, to $5,133.80. Despite recent safe-haven demand, today’s decline suggests investors rotated into equities as risk appetite stabilized. Silver also slipped 0.40% to $86.22.

The sharp gold correction may indicate traders locking in profits after strong gains within its wide 52-week range of $2,844.10 to $5,626.80.

Crypto market today: bitcoin and ether decline

The Nasdaq Crypto Index fell 2.45% to 3,041.21. Bitcoin dropped 2.16% to $63,204. Ether declined 1.66% to $1,823. Litecoin and XRP also traded lower.

Crypto weakness mirrors broader uncertainty around risk assets. Rising tariffs and global trade tensions tend to strengthen the U.S. dollar, which can pressure digital assets in the short term.

Investors are asking whether bitcoin can hold above the key $60,000 psychological level. For now, volatility remains elevated.

Today’s hot stocks: biggest gainers and losers

Gossamer Bio plunged 80.13% to $0.42 on massive 274 million share volume, signaling a potential biotech setback. Novo Nordisk ADR dropped 16.43% to $39.63, likely reflecting competitive pressures in weight-loss and diabetes drugs.

ImmunityBio surged 12.99% to $9.83. PayPal climbed 5.76% to $44.05, suggesting renewed interest in fintech plays. Nvidia rose 0.91% to $191.55 despite earlier weakness.

Tesla fell 2.91% to $399.83 amid ongoing EV competition concerns. SoFi declined 4.21%. Nu Holdings dropped 7.64%. Opendoor slipped 4.40%.

Heavy trading volume across these names shows active repositioning rather than panic selling.

How tariffs and trade war fears are shaping the US stock market today

The biggest macro driver remains tariffs. A 10% global U.S. tariff is already in effect. Reports suggest the White House may escalate to 15% and launch national-security probes on sectoral imports.

The European Union and Japan have protested that the new duties undermine prior agreements. If trade tensions intensify, multinational earnings could face downward revisions.

Markets dislike uncertainty more than bad news. Investors want clarity. Until they get it, volatility will likely persist.