Wall Street Gains as Gold Exceeds $5,000 Mark/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. stocks opened with moderate gains as gold prices surged past $5,000 an ounce. Investors brace for key Federal Reserve decisions and major corporate earnings. A harsh winter storm disrupted airline shares.
US Stocks and Gold Price Surge Quick Looks
- S&P 500 up 0.4%, Dow rose 184 points in early trading.
- Nasdaq increased 0.3% as markets rebound from weekly losses.
- Gold topped $5,000 per ounce for the first time, gaining 2%.
- Silver surged 8.6%, reaching approximately $110 per ounce.
- USA Rare Earth stock jumped 25% after U.S. government investment.
- Natural gas futures climbed 2.2% amid severe winter weather.
- Delta and United Airlines fell 1.2% after widespread flight cancellations.
- Investors await this week’s Fed policy meeting on interest rates.
- Corporate earnings expected from Meta, Apple, Boeing, and others.
- Japanese yen strengthens, pushing Nikkei 225 down by 1.8%.
Deep Look: Wall Street Gains as Gold Exceeds $5,000 Mark
New York — Wall Street opened the week with moderate gains on Monday, driven by investor optimism ahead of a critical Federal Reserve meeting and a packed earnings calendar, while precious metals soared to record levels.
The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, continuing to recover from two consecutive weeks of losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 184 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.3%, signaling cautious confidence among investors.
A standout market mover was gold, which surged 2% to break the $5,000 per ounce barrier for the first time in history. The rally in precious metals reflects a flight to safety as geopolitical tensions persist and global markets remain volatile. Silver also experienced a sharp spike, rising 8.6% to around $110 an ounce.
Meanwhile, USA Rare Earth, an Oklahoma-based company specializing in critical minerals, saw its shares skyrocket by 25% following news of new U.S. government investment—part of Washington’s broader effort to strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign rare earth imports.
Airline stocks lagged behind, pressured by the ongoing fallout from a massive winter storm that paralyzed travel across large swaths of the U.S. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines both dropped 1.2%, as thousands of flights were grounded from the Rockies to the East Coast.
With winter weather causing power outages and frigid temperatures nationwide, natural gas futures jumped 2.2%, as demand for heating fuel spiked.
Investors now turn their focus to the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting, where policymakers will decide the next step in interest rate strategy. After three consecutive rate cuts in late 2025, expectations are for the Fed to hold rates steady as inflation stabilizes and economic data points to steady if moderate growth.
Beyond monetary policy, attention shifts to corporate earnings, which could reflect the economic effects of recent U.S. tariff measures. This week’s earnings lineup includes major players such as United Airlines, Boeing, General Motors, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple.
In global markets, European indexes opened with modest gains, but Asia saw turbulence, particularly in Japan. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.8% as the Japanese yen gained ground against the U.S. dollar amid speculation of potential government intervention to stabilize the currency.
The yen strengthened to 153.83 per U.S. dollar, up from 155.01 yen a day prior, continuing a trend away from the 158 level seen just last week. The rebound adds pressure on Japanese exporters but offers a slight reprieve to domestic consumers who’ve faced rising import costs since the yen began weakening in 2021.
Overall, markets are treading cautiously at the start of a potentially pivotal week, balancing optimism from strong commodity performance and earnings potential against concerns around inflation, weather-related disruptions, and global currency volatility.
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