Stocks Boosted by Trade Optimism and Broadcom's AI Agreement

Market Performance: The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq indexes are all up significantly today, recovering from last week's losses, driven by improved trade sentiment with China and strong performances from chipmakers, particularly Broadcom.

Gold Prices and Economic Concerns: Gold prices have surged to an all-time high due to central bank buying and safe-haven demand amid the ongoing US government shutdown, which is expected to impact economic reports and jobless claims.

Corporate Earnings Outlook: Rising expectations for corporate earnings are supporting stock prices, with over 22% of S&P 500 companies forecasting better-than-expected Q3 results, although overall profit growth is projected to be the smallest in two years.

Sector Movements: Chipmakers and technology stocks are leading the market rally, while defensive food and beverage stocks are declining. Notable movers include Broadcom, Estee Lauder, and Warner Bros Discovery, while PayPal and casino stocks are experiencing losses.