Wall Street kicked off the holiday-shortened week on a positive note Monday, with all three major indexes finishing in the green as investors returned from the weekend in a risk-on mood. The Nasdaq led the charge, climbing just over 1%, powered largely by a fresh surge in semiconductor and AI-linked names. The S&P 500 settled near 5,872, comfortably holding above recent support levels.
Nvidia was the standout performer of the session, rallying more than 4% after reports emerged that the Biden-era AI chip export framework is under review, with relaxed licensing rules potentially coming for allied partners in Europe and Asia. That news cascaded through the broader chip sector, lifting AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm alongside it.
On the downside, CVS Health was the notable laggard, slipping nearly 4% after Citi analysts cut their rating to Neutral and flagged deteriorating fundamentals in the company's Aetna insurance segment. Healthcare was the only S&P sector to finish in the red on the day.
Macroeconomic conditions remained broadly supportive. Oil held steady near $78.60 a barrel, gold continued its climb above $3,200, and the VIX eased to 17.4 — signaling that while some caution lingers, traders are not pricing in near-term panic. Fed officials made no major headlines, allowing equities to breathe freely.