Stock markets today: Notable stocks closed at record highs Thursday

Stock markets today: Several major stocks reached record highs on Thursday, signaling strong investor confidence and optimism in the broader market. Leading the charge were companies in the tech and energy sectors, as well as those benefiting from the current economic environment.

1. NVIDIA

Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) surged to a record high on Thursday, making the chipmaker the first company ever to exceed a market valuation of $3.6 trillion. The rally came as Wall Street extended gains following Donald Trump’s election victory, which reignited investor optimism about potential tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks under a Republican administration. Nvidia, a dominant player in the AI chip market, saw its stock rise 2.2%, as investors positioned themselves to benefit from the pro-business policies expected to follow Trump’s return to the White House.

Nvidia's stock market value ended the day at $3.65 trillion, beating Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab record closing market capitalization of $3.57 trillion reached on Oct. 21, before the chipmaker on Tuesday overtook the iPhone maker as the world's most valuable company, according to LSEG data.

2. Amazon

Amazon.com Inc. shares hit an intraday record on Wednesday, in the latest example of how big tech remains a favored part of the market for investors.

Shares of the e-commerce and cloud computing giant climbed 1% to $201.45, surpassing a peak that had stood since July. The stock has surged 25% since its low in August and is up 32% for the year, outpacing the Nasdaq 100 Index, which has gained 23%. Overall, equities rose broadly following the U.S. election results.

The recent rally follows Amazon's strong quarterly earnings, with significant growth in its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division, which is expected to benefit from long-term trends in artificial intelligence. The company also issued an optimistic forecast for the upcoming holiday quarter.

3. Netflix

Netflix’s share price rose 0.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching an intraday high of $787.93 before settling at $785.41. This marked a modest increase from the previous session’s close of $780.21. During this period, 628,748 shares were traded, which represented a significant 83% drop from the average daily trading volume of 3,671,795 shares. The lower trading volume suggested that investor activity was quieter than usual, possibly due to market-wide factors or a lack of major news surrounding the company.

Nevertheless, the stock’s upward movement signaled continued positive sentiment toward Netflix, as investors remain optimistic about the company’s growth prospects in the competitive streaming industry. Despite the subdued volume, the stock’s performance on the day reflected steady interest, with the price trending higher as investors digest the latest market and company developments.

4. Spotify

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) is among the most sought-after equity in the market as it’s sustainably scaling up in the indices. This year alone, Spotify stock has surged 107% and doubled investors’ money in just 10 months. The rally has yet to be stopped, and the stock has more of a chance of heading north before the Q3 earnings results.

The Q3 earnings call is scheduled for November 12 and is only four days from publicizing the results. The firm deals with music streaming and subscriptions and could deliver better-than-expected results. Monthly active users were up 26% in 2024 alone, reaching 574 million. In addition, subscriptions grew 16% year-over-year to 226 million, with an addition of 6 million users.

5. MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy has surged 464.93% over the past year and is up nearly 300% year-to-date. A quick glance at its moving averages reveals bullish signals: the stock price, at $268, is comfortably above the eight, 20 and 50-day simple moving averages, indicating strong buying pressure.The stock's price is also above its 200-day simple moving average, which sits at $144.42, a clear sign of sustained momentum.

MicroStrategy Inc MSTR has made waves with its bold, billion-dollar bet on Bitcoin BTC/USD. The company recently announced an aggressive acquisition plan, vowing to invest $42 billion into Bitcoin over the next three years. This would be split evenly between debt and equity, with $10 billion earmarked for 2025 alone. This move could dramatically increase the company's Bitcoin holdings, already among the largest of any public company.

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Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice.