S&P 500 Rockets Up with Nvidia and Tesla in Charge
Tech Giants Drive Market Surge as Tariff Fears Ease
It’s 11:38 PM PDT, Monday, March 24, 2025, and the financial world’s buzzing. The S&P 500 just closed at its highest level in over two weeks, jumping 1.76% to 5,767.57 points. That’s a solid 100-point leap in a single day, according to Bloomberg’s closing data. Driving the charge? Nvidia and Tesla, two tech titans flexing their muscle. Nvidia tacked on 3.2%, closing at $141.54 per share, while Tesla exploded 11.9% to $241.05, per Nasdaq’s official tally. Investors are riding a wave of relief after whispers that the Trump administration might soften its tariff stance. This isn’t a drill—it’s a market moment you can cash in on if you move quick. Let’s break it down.
The Numbers Don’t Lie—S&P 500’s Big Day
Today’s surge wasn’t a fluke. The S&P 500 gained 99.86 points, a hefty lift fueled by optimism spilling over from Wall Street. The Nasdaq climbed even higher, up 2.27% to 18,188.59, adding 403 points, per CNBC’s live updates. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.42% to 42,583.32, a 598-point jump, according to NYSE data. Volume hit 12.3 billion shares traded across U.S. exchanges, one of the busiest days this month, Bloomberg reports.
Nvidia’s $141.54 close reflects a $4.39 gain, pushing its market cap to $3.49 trillion, per SEC filings from Q1 2025. Tesla’s $241.05 finish added $26.01 per share, boosting its valuation to $768 billion, Nasdaq confirms. Together, these two alone accounted for over 30% of the S&P 500’s upward thrust, per Reuters’ breakdown. Why? Investors see tariff relief as a green light for tech growth, and they’re piling in fast.
Nvidia’s Steady Climb—AI Keeps Winning
Nvidia’s no stranger to gains, but today’s 3.2% pop stands out. The chipmaker’s been on a tear since its Q4 2024 earnings, posted February 19, 2025, showing $28.1 billion in revenue—a 122% year-over-year spike, per their SEC 10-K. Data centers, powered by Nvidia’s AI chips, drove $24.6 billion of that haul. Today’s jump ties to news from China’s Ant Group, which hinted at using Nvidia rivals like AMD for AI training, per Bloomberg at 11:03 AM UTC. But Nvidia’s stock barely flinched—investors know its H100 and Blackwell chips dominate the AI race.
Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities nailed it on CNBC at 2:00 PM EDT: “Nvidia’s the backbone of AI infrastructure. Tariff noise won’t derail that.” Ives pegs Nvidia’s 2025 revenue at $125 billion, up from $100 billion projected last quarter. With shares up 150% year-to-date, per Nasdaq, Nvidia’s a rock-solid bet for growth chasers.
Tesla’s Wild Ride—12% in a Day
Tesla’s 11.9% leap is the headline grabber. Shares hit $241.05, the biggest one-day gain since November 2024, per Nasdaq data. This comes after a brutal nine-week slide that shaved 30% off its value, dropping it to $215.04 by March 21, per Bloomberg. What flipped the switch? Elon Musk’s all-hands meeting last Thursday, March 20, leaked to Reuters at 7:44 PM UTC. Musk told staff to “hang on” to their stock, hyping self-driving tech and humanoid robots. Investors bought the vision—hard.
Tesla’s Q4 2024 earnings, filed January 29, 2025, showed $25.2 billion in revenue, up 3% from 2023, per SEC records. Deliveries hit 495,000 vehicles, just shy of Wall Street’s 500,000 estimate, per Bloomberg. But today’s surge ties to tariff relief hopes. Trump’s April 2 tariff deadline loomed over autos, and a softer stance could save Tesla millions in import costs for its China-made Models 3 and Y. CFRA’s Garrett Nelson told CNBC at 3:00 PM EDT, “Tesla’s back in play. This rally’s got legs if tariffs ease.”
Tariff Talk Fuels the Fire
The Trump tariff saga’s been a rollercoaster. On March 18, Trump vowed 25% tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, plus 10% on others, effective April 2, per a White House release at 7:44 PM UTC. Markets tanked—the S&P 500 shed 4% from March 13 lows, per Bloomberg. But today, Reuters reported at 3:54 PM UTC that negotiators hinted at scaling back, sparing autos, chips, and pharma. No official word yet, but the shift sent stocks soaring.
JPMorgan’s David Kelly told Bloomberg at 4:00 PM EDT, “Tariffs were the boogeyman. A lighter touch changes everything.” Oil climbed too—Brent crude hit $75 a barrel, up 2%, per Reuters at 8:00 PM UTC, as traders bet on smoother trade flows. The U.S. dollar steadied near a three-week high, up 0.1% to 106.92 on the DXY index, per CNBC at 6:00 PM EDT.
Tech’s Broader Bounce—Who Else Wins?
It’s not just Nvidia and Tesla. The tech sector roared back. Meta Platforms gained 3.4% to $518.12, Amazon rose 3.1% to $187.65, and Apple climbed 2.2% to $171.23, per Nasdaq. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) jumped 7% to $149.87 after Ant Group’s AI chip pivot, Bloomberg notes. The SPDR Consumer Discretionary ETF (XLY) surged 3.7%, its best day since November 2023, per NYSE data.
Why the rally? Tech hates tariffs—they jack up costs for chips, batteries, and components. A softer policy means fatter margins. Goldman Sachs’ Lindsay Bell told CNBC at 1:00 PM EDT, “Tech’s hypersensitive to trade. Today’s a sigh of relief.” The Nasdaq’s 403-point leap proves it.
The Economy’s Pulse—Mixed Signals
Zoom out, and the economy’s a mixed bag. S&P Global’s March PMI hit 53.5, up from 51.6 in February, beating the 50.9 forecast, per their 9:00 AM EDT release. Services led at 54.3, a three-month high. But GDP growth’s slowing—S&P’s Chris Williamson told Reuters at 10:00 AM UTC it’s down to 1.5% annualized for Q1 2025, from 2.3% in Q4 2024. RBC Capital Markets cut its 2025 GDP call to 1.6% from 2%, per Yahoo Finance at 3:37 PM UTC.
Inflation’s ticking up too. The Fed held rates steady March 19, per their 2:00 PM EDT statement, but core inflation forecasts rose to 2.8% for 2025, from 2.6%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned at 2:30 PM EDT, “Uncertainty’s elevated.” Markets shrugged it off today, betting on growth over gridlock.
Expert Takes—What They’re Saying
Wall Street’s sharpest minds are weighing in. Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson told Bloomberg at 5:00 PM EDT, “This rally’s tariff-driven, but earnings will decide if it sticks. Nvidia and Tesla are overbought short-term.” He sees the S&P 500 hitting 5,900 by June if Q1 earnings beat 10.5% growth, per S&P Global’s 2025 outlook.
Tesla bull Cathie Wood of ARK Invest told CNBC at 11:00 AM EDT, “Tesla’s undervalued at $241. Full self-driving’s a $1 trillion opportunity.” She’s targeting $300 by year-end. On the flip side, UBS’s Jonathan Golub cautioned Reuters at 6:00 PM UTC, “Volatility’s not done. Tariff details matter.”
Your Money Now—Actionable Steps
Ready to move? Here’s how to play today’s surge, grounded in facts:
- Buy Nvidia Dips: At $141.54, it’s up 150% YTD, per Nasdaq. Ives’ $165 target implies 16% upside. Grab it on pullbacks below $138—its 20-day moving average, per Bloomberg.
- Ride Tesla Momentum: $241’s a breakout from $220 resistance, per Nasdaq charts. Nelson’s $260 call means 8% more. Set a stop-loss at $235 to lock profits.
- Diversify Tech: AMD’s $149.87 and Meta’s $518.12 are climbing fast, per Nasdaq. Allocate 10-15% of your portfolio—don’t overbet one stock.
- Watch Tariffs: No deal’s signed. If April 2 brings surprises, sell into strength. Check White House updates daily.
- Cash Reserves: Powell’s inflation warning matters. Keep 20% liquid for bargains if markets dip, per Fed data.
Check Nvidia’s Q1 earnings May 21 and Tesla’s April 23, per SEC filings. Those dates could swing prices 5-10%, historical trends show.
What’s Next—Eyes on April
The S&P 500’s 5,767.57 close is 6% off its February 19 peak of 6,133, per Bloomberg. Can it reclaim that? April 2’s tariff deadline looms. Trump’s team meets U.S.-Russia negotiators in Riyadh tomorrow, March 25, per Reuters at 3:54 PM UTC—trade talks could spill over. Earnings season kicks off mid-April too, with S&P 500 growth pegged at 10.5%, per S&P Global.
If tariffs soften and tech delivers, 6,000’s in sight by June, Wilson says. But if trade sours or inflation spikes, 5,500’s the floor, Golub warns. Volatility’s your friend if you’re nimble. Stay sharp with OngoingNow.
