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S&P 500 (NYSEARCA: SPY) Live: Markets Withstand Unrelenting Mideast Pressure, Rate Decision

Gerelyn Terzo

Published: June 18, 2025 10:19 am

Last Updated: June 18, 2025 12:56 pm

Live Updates

Live Coverage Has Ended

IPO Soars

12:56 pm by Gerelyn Terzo

The markets embraced healthcare newcomer Caris Life Sciences (Nasdaq: CAI) today, marking its debut on the Nasdaq. After pricing its initial public offering at $21 per share, Caris Life skyrocketed, rising over 32% to hit $27.85 per share. The company is at the forefront of medical innovation, harnessing AI algorithms in blood tests to diagnose early detection of diseases like breast cancer.

The SPY ETF is now up 0.35%.

Rising Stocks

11:23 am by Gerelyn Terzo

Hasbro (Nasdaq: HAS) shares are up 1.3% today. The toymaker is undertaking a restructuring, resulting in the layoff of 3% of its workforce, a move attributed to the impact of tariffs.

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is surging 16% today, buoyed by the passage of stablecoin-friendly legislation in Congress.

Magnificent 7 stock Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) is up 0.88% after CEO Andy Jassy projected that artificial intelligence will reshape the corporate workforce in the not-too-distant future, as the e-commerce titan increasingly leans on technology.

Housing Market Teetering

10:20 am by Gerelyn Terzo

Cracks are increasingly beginning to show in the U.S. housing market. New home construction activity tumbled last month, with housing starts plummeting by nearly 10% to their lowest level in five years. New home construction declined by 9.8% to an annualized rate of 1.26 million starts, reflecting a softening in demand from homebuyers. Looking ahead, a potential harbinger of future activity, building permits also slipped, falling 2% from April levels to a pace of 1.39 million.

The SPY ETF has widened its lead to a 0.51% gain.

This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.

The markets are managing gains even as Middle East tensions mount and the geopolitical net potentially draws in the U.S. Indeed, stocks are largely holding their ground ahead of the Federal Reserve’s looming decision on interest rates. As President Trump assesses his strategy, the price of oil has surged to levels not seen in months, now hovering above $73 per barrel.

Encouragingly, most sectors of the economy are seeing gains this morning, and the S&P 500 is within striking distance (less than 3%) of its latest all-time high. Today, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is up 0.32%.

The Fed’s latest decision on interest rates is expected this afternoon, and the prevailing sentiment is that policymakers will leave rates unchanged, much to President Trump’s disliking.

Here’s a look at the performance as of morning trading:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Up 113.94 (+0.28%)
Nasdaq Composite: Up 83.12 (+0.43%)
S&P 500: Up 21.75 (+0.36%)

Winners & Losers

JPMorgan is casting a favorable eye on fintech stocks, which are rivals to traditional financial institutions. The analyst firm has highlighted Q2 Holdings (NYSE: QTWO), nCino (Nasdaq: NCNO), and Alkami (Nasdaq: ALKT), adding them to a list of companies poised to capitalize on the digital banking revolution. JPMorgan is labeling the sector an “attractive investment arena.” All three of these names are posting gains today.

Meanwhile, Solar Stocks like Enphase Energy (Nasdaq: ENPH) and First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) are facing headwinds. They’re under pressure following efforts in Washington, D.C. to potentially strip out a renewable energy tax credit from the upcoming tax bill.