Wall Street finished Wednesday in the green, with technology names driving the bulk of the gains after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and signaled it remains in no rush to cut — a message markets have largely made peace with. The S&P 500 added 0.6%, the Nasdaq climbed 0.9%, and the Dow edged up 0.3% in a measured but constructive session.
Nvidia was the clear standout of the day, surging more than 4% after reports emerged that a major sovereign wealth fund had built a substantial new stake in the chipmaker. That single headline was enough to light a fire under the broader semiconductor space, with AMD and Broadcom both closing up over 2% in sympathy.
On the downside, CVS Health was the session's notable laggard, sliding nearly 4% after quietly trimming its full-year profit outlook. The company cited continued margin compression in its insurance business — a theme that has haunted managed care names for much of 2026. Other health insurers felt the ripple, with Humana and Elevance both dipping modestly.
VIX held comfortably below 18, oil settled near $75 a barrel, and gold was steady around $2,318 — a backdrop that suggests investors are cautiously comfortable, not complacent. With no major catalysts looming tonight, the tape feels like it's taking a breath.