Dow closes 500 points higher as Apple revives stock rally

Dow closes 500 points higher as Apple revives stock rally
By: cnbc Posted On: October 20, 2025 View: 19

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Stocks moved higher on Monday, thanks to a rise in Apple shares, as investors looked ahead to a possible end to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown as well as a slew of big-name earnings reports and inflation data expected in the coming days.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 515.97 points, or 1.12%, higher at 46,706.58. The S&P 500 also climbed 1.07% to settle at 6,735.13, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.37% to settle at 22,990.54.

Apple led the market higher, rising nearly 4% to a record close, after receiving an upgrade to buy from hold at Loop Capital. The firm pointed to improving iPhones demand, saying that "we are NOW at the front end of AAPL's long-anticipated adoption cycle that suggests ongoing iPhone shipment expansion through CY2027."

Also giving a boost to stocks, the government shutdown, which is in Day 20, "is likely to end sometime this week," National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Monday. He added that he believes "moderate" Democrats would come together this week to strike a deal and that the White House was prepared to take stronger measures to force an end to the stoppage if there's no deal this week.

Stocks are coming off a volatile trading week, ultimately closing higher despite flaring tensions between the U.S. and China, a sell-off sparked by regional bank loan losses and declines in a few high-flying artificial intelligence names. However, a strong start to the third-quarter earnings season appears to be lifting sentiment, alongside investors' anticipation of another quarter percentage point rate cut at the Federal Reserve's late October meeting.

Following the first week of the reporting season, 76% of the 58 S&P 500 companies that have posted results so far have exceeded earnings expectations, far surpassing the first-week average of 68% and slightly higher than last quarter's 73% figure, according to Bank of America.

This week, several large companies are expected to report quarterly results. Netflix, Coca-Cola, Tesla and Intel are among the names on deck. Investors hope that earnings will continue to come in strong, possibly overshadowing any challenges in the macroeconomic landscape.

Investors also continued to move past concerns of credit risks that had caused a broader rout on Thursday. The market panicked after Zions Bancorporation and Western Alliance disclosed issues tied to bad loans, leading shares of several financial heavyweights and regional banks to swing lower before they rebounded on Friday. Shares of Zions, which is set to report earnings after the bell, and Western Alliance saw gains in Monday's session, each moving 4% higher.

"Markets are exiting the funk of the ongoing tariff drama with China and the shutdown standoff, and are now more focused on monetary policy and earnings, both of which are far more positive and consequential," said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. "Markets are broadening out and investors would be wise to take advantage of it while it lasts."

The three major U.S. indexes edged up Friday after President Donald Trump appeared optimistic on a potential trade deal with China ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month in South Korea. Trump echoed a similar sentiment Monday, saying that he expects a "fair" deal with the country.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said Friday that he thinks "things have de-escalated" with China and that he will likely be meeting with counterpart Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in the coming week. These comments suggested to traders that Trump's threat of an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports beginning Nov. 1 may not happen.

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