Small Caps Extend Record Run, GE Vernova Rallies: What's Moving Markets Wednesday?

Benzinga · 1d ago

U.S. stocks edged higher Wednesday ahead of the highly awaited Federal Open Market Committee decision, with investors broadly expecting a third straight 25-basis-point rate cut.

The Fed will also release updated macro projections, including a new dot plot outlining policymakers' preferred rate path. Economists warn that while a December cut appears likely, officials may adopt a more cautious stance heading into 2026, opening the door to a prolonged pause.

The Dow Jones rose 250 points, or 0.5%, to 47,810. The small-cap Russell 2000 extended its record run, up 0.3% to 2,535. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 were little changed as traders awaited the Fed's statement and earnings from Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCL) and Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) after the bell.

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) was the day's standout performer, jumping 14% after the company raised its outlook during Tuesday's Investor Day.

Uber Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:UBER) lagged the most within the S&P 500, sliding more than 5% after a 3.8% drop on Tuesday as regulatory pressure in Europe intensified and Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target.

Silver's blockbuster rally accelerated, pushing the metal to $61 an ounce. It is now up 112% year-to-date, on track for its strongest annual performance since 1979. In cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) slipped 0.6% to $92,000, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) rose 1% to $3,350.

Wednesday's Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

Major Indices Price % Change
Nasdaq 100 25,613.51 -0.2%
S&P 500 6,846.38 0.1%
Dow Jones 47,785.09 0.5%
Russell 2000 2,533.90 0.3%
Updated by 12:10 p.m. ET


According to Benzinga Pro data:

  • The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) flattened at $628.44.
  • The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) moved 0.44% to $478.54.
  • The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) eased 0.21% to $623.73.
  • The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) traded 0.3% higher to $252.28.
  • The Industrials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLI) outperformed, up 0.8%; the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLK) lagged, down 0.3%.

Russell 1000's Top 5 Gainers On Wednesday

Stock Name % Change
GE Vernova Inc. +14.22%
Americold Realty Trust (NYSE:COLD) +10.08%
Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) +7.21%
The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ:MIDD) +6.52%
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) +5.68%

Russell 1000's Top 5 Losers On Wednesday

Stock Name % Change
Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT) -7.13%
Maplebear Inc. (NASDAQ:CART) -6.43%
Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) -5.44%
Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) -5.32%
GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) -5.11%

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.