Tuesday, August 4, 2026 delivered a broad and convincing rally across every major U.S. equity index, with the Nasdaq leading the charge. The tech-heavy composite surged 3.40% to close at 26,275.75 — a standout move that signaled clear risk-on appetite returning to growth-oriented corners of the market. The S&P 500 added 1.80% to settle at 7,721.01, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.73% to finish at 53,702.53.
Small caps joined the party as well, with the Russell 2000 rising 1.85% to close at 3,005.03 — crossing the 3,000 threshold and suggesting that the optimism was not confined to mega-cap names. Breadth appeared healthy, reinforcing the idea that today's gains had genuine conviction behind them rather than being driven by a narrow handful of heavyweights.
Nvidia was the marquee gainer among large caps, advancing 2.56% to $211.94 and underscoring continued investor confidence in AI-driven semiconductor demand. Amazon was the notable laggard, declining 2.32% to $277.42 even as nearly everything else moved higher.
Gold held firm at $4,085.83, suggesting that while equities rallied hard, some investors maintained their defensive hedges — a reminder that underlying macro uncertainties have not fully dissipated.