As Markets Near Record Highs, Leah Bennett Highlights Long-Term Drivers of Growth

By Brian Evans, Alex Harring

The S&P 500 ended the session near the flatline on Wednesday as investors watched to see if the benchmark index could return to its all-time high.

S&P 500: 6,092.16 (little changed)
Nasdaq Composite: +0.31%, closing at 19,973.55
Dow Jones Industrial Average: –106.59 points (–0.25%), closing at 42,982.43

Shares of artificial intelligence leader Nvidia gained 4.3% after reaching a record high. Meanwhile, Alphabet and AMDrose 2.3% and 3.6%, respectively.

The S&P 500 is now less than 1% below its intraday record of 6,147.43 (Feb. 19), and within reach of its closing all-time high of 6,144.15. The Nasdaq is similarly just over 1% away from its all-time peak.

Market Momentum

The week has seen over a 2% increase in the S&P 500, fueled by easing geopolitical tensions. A tamer-than-expected response from Iran following U.S. attacks and a ceasefire announcement by President Donald Trump have helped calm investor fears of oil supply disruption.

Global Outlook

With the ceasefire holding—albeit shakily—between Iran and Israel, optimism has returned to markets. Both nations have accused the other of violations, but the overall tone remains cautiously hopeful.

“There is a battle in the markets between some of the secular tailwinds, which should positively impact asset prices long term (AI, robotics, crypto, and many other technological innovations), and the cyclical headwinds of possible policy missteps,” said Leah Bennett, Chief Investment Strategist at Concurrent Asset Management. “The former seems to be winning today.”

Earlier this year, the S&P 500 had dipped over 20% from its high, as investors worried rising U.S. tariffs might tip the global economy into a recession. But recent labor and inflation data have proven resilient in the face of those concerns.

Economic Snapshot

Elsewhere, new U.S. home sales came in at their slowest pace since October 2024, showing some softness in housing demand.

Read on CNBC.

Share

More Posts

Leah Bennett Talks Unchanged Rates, Tariffs, and What Could Move the Fed

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg US stocks barely moved on Wednesday as Federal Reserve officials left

$12B and Growing: Nate Lenz Details Concurrent’s Plan to Back Smaller RIAs

By: Alex Ortolani Concurrent Investment Advisors, a hybrid registered investment advisor with a 1099 affiliation model, has launched a minority stake division that has invested in

$500M in New Affiliations Drives Growth as Concurrent Debuts RIA Capital Partners Program

Initial Investments Include Post Oak and Oliver Capital Management TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC (“Concurrent”), a hybrid registered investment adviser supporting independent wealth managers

Rethinking RIA Growth: Nate Lenz on Revenue, Talent, and the Next Generation

By: Alex Ortolani Registered investment advisors looking to build sustainable, growth-oriented firms need to think outside the usual parameters of assets under management and new

Advisory Services offered through Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Brokerage services offered through Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments (PKS), Member FINRA/SIPC Headquartered at 80 State Street, Albany, NY 12207. PKS and Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC are not affiliated companies.

These materials have been independently produced by Concurrent. Concurrent is independent of, and has no affiliation with, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. or any of its affiliates (“Schwab”). Schwab is a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC. Schwab has not created, supplied, licensed, endorsed, or otherwise sanctioned these materials nor has Schwab independently verified any of the information in them. Concurrent provides you with investment advice, while Schwab maintains custody of your assets in a brokerage account and will effect transactions for your account on our instruction.

Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Institutional® (together “Fidelity”) is an independent company unaffiliated with Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC (“Concurrent”). Fidelity is a service provider to Concurrent. There is no form of legal partnership, agency affiliation, or similar relationship between Concurrent and Fidelity, nor is such a relationship created or implied by the information herein. Fidelity Institutional® provides clearing, custody, or other brokerage services through National Financial Services LLC or Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Members NYSE, SIPC 1077692.1.0