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Stock Market Today: Nasdaq 100 Rises Despite Hot PPI, Nvidia Hits Record High
Sanjeev Kumar | May 14, 2026 2:23 AM CST

Tech stocks ripped higher on Wednesday despite a sharply hotter-than-expected April Producer Price Index reading that rekindled inflation anxieties and rate-hike fears, as strength in semiconductors fueled investor sentiment.
Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) rallied for the sixth straight session to above $226 per share, with the company's market cap soaring above $5.5 trillion ahead of next week's highly awaited earnings report. Speaking via Truth Social shortly before landing in Beijing, Trump told followers the trip - joined by Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon MuskApple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook and a last-minute addition of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang - was aimed at "fixing the broken deal" with China while also pressing Xi to help "end the Iran problem." On the macro front, April wholesale prices jumped 1.4% month-over-month, nearly triple the 0.5% consensus, and headline PPI surged to 6% year-over-year against expectations of 4.8%, the hottest print in over three years. Core PPI rose 1.0% versus 0.4% estimates, underscoring that Iran-war-driven energy inflation is now bleeding into broader pipeline pricing. Rate traders quickly revised Fed policy path, with fed funds futures now pricing a hike more likely than a hold by year end. Across U.S. equity markets by midday Wednesday, the tape was a classic split - large-cap growth higher, rate-sensitive cyclicals and small caps lower. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 7,437.67 while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.4% to 49,571, dragged by 189 points of weakness in its bank and industrial components. The Nasdaq 100 outperformed with a 0.7% gain to 29,265.56, leaning on a strong semis and clean-energy bid alongside Nvidia's continued march. The Russell 2000 slipped 0.1% to 2,839.74.
Wednesday's Performance In Major US Indices
Index Last % Change
S&P 500 7,437.67 +0.5%
Dow Jones 49,571.14 -0.4%
Nasdaq 100 29,265.56 +0.7%
Russell 2000 2,839.74 -0.1%
Updated by 12:55 PM ETAccording to the Benzinga Pro platform:
  • The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) rose 0.5%.
  • The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSE:DIA) slipped 0.4%.
  • The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) climbed 0.7%.
  • The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) edged 0.1% lower.
Tech And Solar Defy The PPI Shock, Banks And Utilities Fall Wednesday's sector tape split cleanly along the rates fault line. The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLK) led the board with a 0.9% gain, with the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLY) up 0.6%, the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLC) up 0.5% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLV) up 0.3%. The losers were a one-line story: yield up, rate-sensitives down. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLU) fell 1.3% - the worst-performing sector - while the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLF) dropped 1.0%, the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLRE) lost 0.8% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund(NYSE:XLE) slid 0.5% as crude unwound recent gains. Industry ETFs amplified the rotation. The Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE:TAN) rocketed 3.7% and the Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (NYSE:PBW) jumped 2.5%, dragged higher by a massive Enphase Energy Inc.(NASDAQ:ENPH) move. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) added 2.1% on AI-chip strength. ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:ON) jumped 10.8% to $115.30, riding the broader semiconductor wave that lifted SMH 2.1%. Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) rose 8.7% to $406.45 in sympathy.
On the downside, rate-sensitive industries such as the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (BATS:ITB) and the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:KRE) were down 2% and 1.4%, respectively. Among notable corporate movers, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) surged 11.9% to $13.42 after the automaker delivered Q1 revenue of $43.3 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.66, both ahead of consensus, while raising 2026 adjusted EBIT guidance to $8.5-10.5 billion. Management also unveiled "Ford Energy," a new battery and grid-storage subsidiary slated for $1.5 billion in capex, alongside a Universal EV platform targeting a $30,000 midsize pickup for next year. Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) added 9.1% to $6.55 on no confirmed single-name catalyst, with the move best explained as EV-cohort sympathy buying off the Ford print. On the downside, the software complex took the morning's biggest hit. Dynatrace Inc. (NYSE:DT) collapsed 14.1% to $33.67 following its pre-market earnings print, with investors punishing what was widely read as a soft outlook against the $0.16 consensus EPS bar. Doximity Inc. (NYSE:DOCS) sank 9.8% to $23.85 after its Q4 fiscal-2026 release missed the $0.18 EPS bar. Wednesday's Russell 1000 Top Gainers
Name % change
Ford Motor Co. +11.9%
ON Semiconductor Corp. +10.8%
Sensata Technologies Holding plc(NYSE:ST) +9.8%
Enphase Energy Inc. +9.5%
Lucid Group Inc. +9.1%
Wednesday's Russell 1000 Top Losers
Name % change
Dynatrace Inc. -14.1%
Caris Life Sciences Inc. -13.0%
Doximity Inc. -9.8%
DXC Technology Co.(NYSE:DXC) -9.0%
Robert Half Inc.(NYSE:RHI) -8.6%
 


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