S&P 500, Nasdaq End Week Higher Following Strong SK Hynix Debut — META, SKHVY, CRCL, BA, DAL In Focus

• The S&P 500 ended 0.4% higher, while the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%.
• SK Hynix surged 13% above their offering price after a blockbuster share sale. 
• Delta Air Lines Inc. reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance. 

U.S. stock indices ended higher on Friday following a strong debut from South Korean memory chip maker SK Hynix as investors prepare for the earnings season. 

The S&P 500 ended 0.4% higher, while the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%. The Russell 2000, which tracks stocks with small market capitalizations, fell 0.5%.

Among ETFs tracking benchmark indexes, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) gained 0.5% and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) ended Friday around 0.4% higher, while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) rose 0.4%. 

Meanwhile, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) added 0.5%, while the broader Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) rose about 0.3%, with gains in Meta Platforms (META) and Nvidia (NVDA) offsetting weakness in Micron (MU), SpaceX (SPCX), Broadcom (AVGO) and Amazon (AMZN). 

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits for SPY, QQQ and DIA was between ‘extremely bullish’ and ‘neutral’ zones with ‘normal’ to ‘high’ message volumes.

US Market Drivers

Meta (META), along with Hewlett-Packard (HPE) and Arista Networks (ANET), were the top gainers in the S&P 500. Meta’s launch of its Muse Spark 1.1 to tackle competition from OpenAI and Anthropic in the AI coding space coupled with its plans to begin manufacturing its in-house AI chip, codenamed ‘Iris,’ in September  supported stock prices. 

South Korean memory chip manufacturer SK Hynix made its U.S. debut on Friday, opening at $170 on the Nasdaq and last trading up about 13%. The company's American depository receipts, which surged dramatically this year amid massive demand for memory, were priced at $149 each.

While tech stocks provided support, oil prices eased after President Donald Trump noted talks with Iran would continue, shortly after he claimed the ceasefire with Iran was over. 

“The muted reaction to the re-escalation of Iran tensions this week is prime evidence that the market is looking past geopolitical tensions,” said Clark Bellin at Bellwether Wealth, told Bloomberg. “While the stock market is gearing up for another strong earnings season, expectations are higher.” 

Investors would now tend to shift their attention to Q2 earnings as corporate America begins reporting quarterly earnings at a time when investor expectations, especially from tech and AI stocks, seem to be the highest they've ever been. 

Trending Stocks To Watch 

SK Hynix (SKHVY): The historic Wall Street debut of South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. (SKHVY) has triggered a rush of interest from international companies looking to tap into U.S. exchanges, according to Nasdaq Inc. leadership. 

Boeing (BA): The aircraft maker formally opened its fourth 737 Max assembly line near Seattle on Friday, as the US planemaker looks to cash in on its growing backlog.

Circle (CRCL): Circle received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, which would operate as Circle National Trust.  

Meta Platforms (META): The stock breached its 200-day moving average (200-DMA) for the first time in over two months, as optimism around its AI initiatives, along with bullish Wall Street commentary, lifted investor sentiment.  

Delta Airlines (DAL): Chief commercial officer, Joe Esposito, said the airline is witnessing continued momentum across its customer segments and expects it to persist through the year. 

 Read More: SK Hynix’s Blockbuster IPO Could Spark Fresh Foreign Interest In US Listings, Nasdaq's Nelson Griggs Says

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