S&P 500 Hits Record High as Oil Prices Plunge
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 day ago
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 reached a new record high on Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was 'completely open,' indicating a significant improvement in market sentiment, while oil prices fell over 10%, with WTI crude dropping to the low $80s, reflecting investor optimism about future economic recovery.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: The market is beginning to price in a 25-basis-point cut in December, indicating a reduction in investor concerns about economic slowdown, and the anticipated decline in rates is expected to further stimulate consumption and investment, driving stock market gains.
- Arm Holdings Strategic Shift: Arm recently unveiled its first in-house data center CPU, the AGI CPU, marking a significant transition from solely licensing to designing and selling its own chips, with projections of generating $25 billion in revenue by FY2031, $15 billion of which will come from these in-house chips, showcasing its ambitions in the semiconductor market.
- FedEx Spin-Off Plan: FedEx plans to spin off FedEx Freight on June 1, aiming to enhance the value of both companies through sharper strategic focus, with FedEx Freight being the largest LTL carrier in North America, and a medium-term revenue growth outlook of 4% to 6% expected to further strengthen its market competitiveness.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy ARM?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on ARM
Wall Street analysts forecast ARM stock price to fall
24 Analyst Rating
19 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 162.330
Low
120.00
Averages
160.58
High
201.00
Current: 162.330
Low
120.00
Averages
160.58
High
201.00
About ARM
Arm Holdings plc is a United Kingdom-based company. The Company is engaged in the design of central processing units (CPUs) and compute platforms for semiconductor chips. It develops and licenses CPU products and related technology. Its cloud and data center solutions include Arm AGI CPU and Arm Neoverse Compute Subsystems. The Arm Agentic Generalized Infrastructure (AGI) CPU is a production-ready system on a chip (SoC) for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, delivering compute at scale. The Arm Neoverse Compute Subsystems (CSS) are pre-validated, performance-optimized compute platforms designed to accelerate infrastructure silicon development. The Company's primary markets include smartphone applications, processors and other chips used in mobile phones, consumer electronics, networking equipment, cloud and data center servers, automotive applications, Internet of Things (loT) and other embedded computing devices.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
US Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Plunge Amid Peace Talks
- Market Rally: The S&P 500 rose 1.20% and the Nasdaq 100 increased by 1.29%, reaching all-time highs, reflecting investor optimism regarding US-Iran peace talks, which may enhance risk appetite in the markets.
- Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude prices fell over 11% to a five-week low after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, easing inflation concerns and causing the 10-year T-note yield to drop 7 basis points to 4.24%.
- Strong Earnings Season: The earnings season started robustly, with 81% of the 48 S&P 500 companies reporting Q1 earnings exceeding estimates, projecting a 12% year-over-year increase in earnings, providing strong support for the stock market.
- Airline Stocks Surge: Airline stocks surged as fuel costs decreased, with Alaska Air Group (ALK) rising over 10% and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) up more than 7%, indicating market confidence in the recovery of the airline industry.
See More
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Oil Prices Plunge
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 reached a new record high on Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was 'completely open,' indicating a significant improvement in market sentiment, while oil prices fell over 10%, with WTI crude dropping to the low $80s, reflecting investor optimism about future economic recovery.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: The market is beginning to price in a 25-basis-point cut in December, indicating a reduction in investor concerns about economic slowdown, and the anticipated decline in rates is expected to further stimulate consumption and investment, driving stock market gains.
- Arm Holdings Strategic Shift: Arm recently unveiled its first in-house data center CPU, the AGI CPU, marking a significant transition from solely licensing to designing and selling its own chips, with projections of generating $25 billion in revenue by FY2031, $15 billion of which will come from these in-house chips, showcasing its ambitions in the semiconductor market.
- FedEx Spin-Off Plan: FedEx plans to spin off FedEx Freight on June 1, aiming to enhance the value of both companies through sharper strategic focus, with FedEx Freight being the largest LTL carrier in North America, and a medium-term revenue growth outlook of 4% to 6% expected to further strengthen its market competitiveness.
See More
Jim Cramer Updates Bullpen Watchlist with New Stocks
- New Additions: Jim Cramer added ARM Holdings and FedEx to the Bullpen, with ARM's recent in-house chip launch making it a bullish prospect at $161 per share, while FedEx, up about 30% this year, remains 'dramatically undervalued'.
- FedEx Restructuring: FedEx is spinning off its less-than-truckload unit, FedEx Freight, expected to complete by June 1, a move that typically creates more shareholder value, with Jim praising CEO Raj Subramaniam for navigating a competitive landscape effectively.
- Removed Stocks: Jim removed Airbnb and Marvell Technology from the watchlist, citing Airbnb's episodic performance as a concern, while Marvell's 57% rally in 2026 indicated a missed buying opportunity.
- Market Monitoring: Jim continues to monitor Sempra and RTX Corporation, with Sempra up over 8% year-to-date, while RTX could benefit from increased defense production, with Jim planning to decide post RTX's first-quarter results on April 21.
See More
ARM HOLDINGS PLC: BOFA GLOBAL RESEARCH INCREASES PRICE TARGET TO $180, UP FROM $155
- Company Announcement: ARM Holdings PLC has raised its price objective to $180 from a previous target of $155.
- Market Impact: This adjustment reflects a positive outlook on the company's performance and potential growth in the market.
See More
US Stocks Close Higher with Chipmakers Rallying
- Market Recovery: On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose by 0.26% and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.49%, reaching new highs, indicating a strong rebound after early losses and reflecting investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Chip Sector Boost: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co raised its 2026 revenue forecast, highlighting strong AI demand, which propelled chipmakers' stock prices, particularly benefiting major suppliers to Nvidia and Apple, further enhancing market optimism.
- Oil Price Impact: Despite the stock market gains, crude oil prices surged over 3%, raising concerns about the Middle East situation and limiting the market's upward momentum, illustrating the potential impact of energy prices on the overall economy.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, exceeding expectations and indicating labor market strength, but unexpected declines in manufacturing production reflect economic uncertainty, which could influence future monetary policy.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Chipmakers Rebound
- Chipmaker Rebound: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co raised its 2026 revenue forecast, reflecting strong AI demand, which led to a rebound in chipmakers, with ON Semiconductor up over 10% and AMD up over 5%, indicating renewed market confidence in tech stocks.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, below the expected 213,000, suggesting a strong labor market; however, manufacturing production unexpectedly declined by 0.1%, highlighting the unevenness of economic recovery, which could influence future policy decisions.
- Oil Price Surge Impact: WTI crude oil prices rose over 2% due to escalating tensions between Iran and the US, potentially exacerbating global oil and fuel shortages, which negatively affects airline and cruise line profitability, leading to declines in related stocks.
- Earnings Season Begins: Q1 earnings for the S&P 500 are projected to rise by 12% year-over-year, but excluding the tech sector, growth is only expected at 3%, raising concerns about the profitability of non-tech stocks and potentially impacting investor confidence.
See More
US Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Plunge Amid Peace Talks
- Market Rally: The S&P 500 rose 1.20% and the Nasdaq 100 increased by 1.29%, reaching all-time highs, reflecting investor optimism regarding US-Iran peace talks, which may enhance risk appetite in the markets.
- Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude prices fell over 11% to a five-week low after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, easing inflation concerns and causing the 10-year T-note yield to drop 7 basis points to 4.24%.
- Strong Earnings Season: The earnings season started robustly, with 81% of the 48 S&P 500 companies reporting Q1 earnings exceeding estimates, projecting a 12% year-over-year increase in earnings, providing strong support for the stock market.
- Airline Stocks Surge: Airline stocks surged as fuel costs decreased, with Alaska Air Group (ALK) rising over 10% and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) up more than 7%, indicating market confidence in the recovery of the airline industry.
See More
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Oil Prices Plunge
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 reached a new record high on Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was 'completely open,' indicating a significant improvement in market sentiment, while oil prices fell over 10%, with WTI crude dropping to the low $80s, reflecting investor optimism about future economic recovery.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: The market is beginning to price in a 25-basis-point cut in December, indicating a reduction in investor concerns about economic slowdown, and the anticipated decline in rates is expected to further stimulate consumption and investment, driving stock market gains.
- Arm Holdings Strategic Shift: Arm recently unveiled its first in-house data center CPU, the AGI CPU, marking a significant transition from solely licensing to designing and selling its own chips, with projections of generating $25 billion in revenue by FY2031, $15 billion of which will come from these in-house chips, showcasing its ambitions in the semiconductor market.
- FedEx Spin-Off Plan: FedEx plans to spin off FedEx Freight on June 1, aiming to enhance the value of both companies through sharper strategic focus, with FedEx Freight being the largest LTL carrier in North America, and a medium-term revenue growth outlook of 4% to 6% expected to further strengthen its market competitiveness.
See More
Jim Cramer Updates Bullpen Watchlist with New Stocks
- New Additions: Jim Cramer added ARM Holdings and FedEx to the Bullpen, with ARM's recent in-house chip launch making it a bullish prospect at $161 per share, while FedEx, up about 30% this year, remains 'dramatically undervalued'.
- FedEx Restructuring: FedEx is spinning off its less-than-truckload unit, FedEx Freight, expected to complete by June 1, a move that typically creates more shareholder value, with Jim praising CEO Raj Subramaniam for navigating a competitive landscape effectively.
- Removed Stocks: Jim removed Airbnb and Marvell Technology from the watchlist, citing Airbnb's episodic performance as a concern, while Marvell's 57% rally in 2026 indicated a missed buying opportunity.
- Market Monitoring: Jim continues to monitor Sempra and RTX Corporation, with Sempra up over 8% year-to-date, while RTX could benefit from increased defense production, with Jim planning to decide post RTX's first-quarter results on April 21.
See More
ARM HOLDINGS PLC: BOFA GLOBAL RESEARCH INCREASES PRICE TARGET TO $180, UP FROM $155
- Company Announcement: ARM Holdings PLC has raised its price objective to $180 from a previous target of $155.
- Market Impact: This adjustment reflects a positive outlook on the company's performance and potential growth in the market.
See More
US Stocks Close Higher with Chipmakers Rallying
- Market Recovery: On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose by 0.26% and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.49%, reaching new highs, indicating a strong rebound after early losses and reflecting investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Chip Sector Boost: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co raised its 2026 revenue forecast, highlighting strong AI demand, which propelled chipmakers' stock prices, particularly benefiting major suppliers to Nvidia and Apple, further enhancing market optimism.
- Oil Price Impact: Despite the stock market gains, crude oil prices surged over 3%, raising concerns about the Middle East situation and limiting the market's upward momentum, illustrating the potential impact of energy prices on the overall economy.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, exceeding expectations and indicating labor market strength, but unexpected declines in manufacturing production reflect economic uncertainty, which could influence future monetary policy.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Chipmakers Rebound
- Chipmaker Rebound: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co raised its 2026 revenue forecast, reflecting strong AI demand, which led to a rebound in chipmakers, with ON Semiconductor up over 10% and AMD up over 5%, indicating renewed market confidence in tech stocks.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, below the expected 213,000, suggesting a strong labor market; however, manufacturing production unexpectedly declined by 0.1%, highlighting the unevenness of economic recovery, which could influence future policy decisions.
- Oil Price Surge Impact: WTI crude oil prices rose over 2% due to escalating tensions between Iran and the US, potentially exacerbating global oil and fuel shortages, which negatively affects airline and cruise line profitability, leading to declines in related stocks.
- Earnings Season Begins: Q1 earnings for the S&P 500 are projected to rise by 12% year-over-year, but excluding the tech sector, growth is only expected at 3%, raising concerns about the profitability of non-tech stocks and potentially impacting investor confidence.
See More
