U.S. markets opened mostly higher Tuesday, with tech stocks supporting Wall Street as investors digested another wave of corporate earnings and watched a sharp rebound in precious metals. Early trading showed the S&P 500 edging up 0.1% and hovering near the all-time high it set last week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 151 points. The Nasdaq Composite was little changed, reflecting a mixed tone even as select technology names pushed higher.
The market’s steady footing comes at a time when traders are balancing optimism around artificial intelligence and earnings growth with lingering macro risks, including interest-rate uncertainty, global debt concerns, and potential tariff disruptions.
Tech Stocks Supporting Wall Street as Palantir Pops on Earnings
One of the biggest drivers of the morning’s momentum was Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR), which surged more than 12% in overnight trading to around $164.42 after delivering better-than-expected quarterly results. Palantir beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter profit and revenue expectations and issued strong guidance for 2026, fueling renewed enthusiasm around AI-related software demand.
Palantir also reported full-year revenue of $4.48 billion, representing a 56% increase over 2024, and forecast another 60% revenue gain for 2026. Those growth figures stand out even in a market already crowded with AI narratives, reinforcing why tech stocks supporting Wall Street remain a key theme for investors hunting for earnings-driven upside.
With Palantir shares up roughly 76% over the past year, the company’s rally highlights how quickly sentiment can shift when a high-profile tech name delivers both strong results and confident forward guidance.
Market Indexes Hold Near Records as Investors Stay Selective
The broader market reaction was more measured. S&P 500 futures were up about 0.3% ahead of the open, while Dow futures were flat. Nasdaq futures climbed around 0.5%, suggesting traders were leaning toward growth-oriented stocks while remaining cautious elsewhere.
This selective behavior is typical when investors believe the market is expensive. Rather than buying everything, they tend to focus on companies with the clearest earnings momentum or the most compelling long-term themes. In this environment, tech stocks supporting Wall Street can lift indexes even when other sectors struggle to keep up.
That’s exactly what Tuesday’s early action suggested: strength in AI-related names helped offset weaker moves in other areas of the market.
Gold and Silver Rebound After a Violent Sell-Off
While equities looked steady, precious metals were making bigger headlines. Gold jumped close to 6% Tuesday, while silver rebounded 12% after nearly 2% losses on Monday. The move followed an extreme sell-off late last week, including a dramatic 31.4% plunge for silver in Friday’s session.
Gold and silver have been climbing during recent market volatility, as some investors seek safety amid uncertainty around central bank policy and broader economic risks. But the sharp sell-off and equally sharp bounce suggest that positioning and leverage may be playing a major role in price swings.
Some analysts pointed to political headlines as a catalyst, citing Friday’s wipeout as a response to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. Others argued the move looked more like a rapid unwind of crowded trades, where investors had borrowed money to increase exposure to metals and then rushed to exit.
Either way, the rebound reinforces that investor nerves remain high, even as tech stocks supporting Wall Street help keep equity benchmarks near record levels.
Earnings Season Highlights Winners and Losers
Beyond Palantir, other major companies also shaped the market mood. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) shares slipped after the company slightly exceeded sales and profit expectations but said it plans to cut prices this year on Lay’s, Doritos, and other snack brands. The move appears aimed at winning back consumers who have become more price-sensitive after years of inflation pressure.
Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) fell after announcing that Josh D’Amaro, head of its parks business, will become its next CEO. CEO transitions can bring uncertainty, and investors often react quickly until they understand the strategic direction and leadership style of the incoming executive.
This split reaction to earnings shows why markets can remain calm overall while individual stocks swing sharply—especially when tech stocks supporting Wall Street are providing enough upside to counterbalance weaker moves elsewhere.
Global Markets Rally on Tech Momentum in Asia
International markets also reflected a tech-driven boost. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 3.9% to a record close of 54,720.66, powered by gains in tech-linked names such as Disco Corp. (TYO:6146) and Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857). Optimism has also been tied to expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party could regain a strong parliamentary majority in a Feb. 8 election, potentially leading to more market-friendly policies.
South Korea’s Kospi jumped 6.8% to 5,288.08, its best day since early 2020. Shares of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (KRX:005930) rose 11.4%, while SK Hynix Inc. (KRX:000660) climbed 9.3%, suggesting investors are once again embracing chipmakers despite recent fears of an AI bubble.
These gains add to the broader narrative that tech stocks supporting Wall Street is not just a U.S. story, but a global market driver.
Bottom Line: Tech Remains the Market’s Backbone
Tuesday’s Wall Street’s action shows how technology and AI-related stocks continue to carry outsized influence. With Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) rallying on strong earnings and guidance, tech leadership helped keep the S&P 500 near record highs even as other sectors delivered mixed results.
At the same time, extreme moves in gold and silver highlight ongoing uncertainty around Federal Reserve leadership, valuation concerns, and broader macro risks. For now, investors appear willing to stay invested—but they’re doing it carefully, leaning on tech stocks supporting Wall Street to provide stability and upside in an otherwise volatile environment.à
Featured Image – Freepik
