📊 Midday Market Take

S&P 500+0.86%
Nasdaq+1.34%
Dow Jones+0.16%
Prices as of 1:07 PM ET · July 6, 2026

Hey, happy Monday, and stocks are picking up right where they left off, with the S&P 500 up 0.86%, the Nasdaq climbing 1.34%, and the Dow tagging along for a quieter 0.16% gain. Tech is clearly doing the heavy lifting today, and that Nasdaq move tells you traders came back to their desks ready to buy.

Keep your eye on the tech sector this afternoon, because a 1.34% Nasdaq pop with the session still running suggests there is real conviction behind this move, not just noise. If you have been waiting to add exposure to large-cap growth names, this kind of broad tech momentum is the environment where that decision tends to age well.


Stock Spotlight

AXT, Inc.

NYSE: AXTI  ·  Technology
Price
$66.43
Today
+17.33%
30 Day
-45.11%
90 Day
+62.14%
1 Year
+2813.60%

AXT, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes compound and single element semiconductor substrates. The company provides indium phosphide for use in data center connectivity using light/lasers, high-speed data transfer in data centers, 5G communications, fiber optic lasers and detectors, consumer devices, passive optical networks, silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits, thermo-photovoltaics, RF amplifier and switching, infrared light-emitting diode (LEDS) motion control, lidar for robotics and autonomous vehicles, and infrared thermal imaging.

3 Reasons to Watch AXTI

  • Earnings Date Set for Late July. AXT just announced it will report second quarter 2026 results on July 30, giving investors less than four weeks to position ahead of the print. After a 17% single-session surge, the market is clearly expecting something worth watching when those numbers drop.
  • Short Squeeze Potential Is Real Right Now. AXT landed on a recent screen of stocks with the setup to squeeze short sellers, which matters a lot given the stock just ripped more than 17% in one session. If short interest remains elevated heading into earnings, any positive catalyst could amplify moves significantly.
  • China AI Exposure Cuts Both Ways. A fresh analysis is circulating that digs into whether AXT's China AI business is a genuine growth engine or a geopolitical liability hiding in plain sight. With the stock down 45% over the past 30 days but up over 62% in the past 90, the market clearly has not made up its mind on that question yet.

World's Largest Investors Are Moving Their Money (Not Into AI) (Ad)

While the media distracts you with stories about the next big AI IPO... The world's largest investors are moving their money into one asset – at the fastest pace in a generation. This asset has crushed the S&P 500's return over the past 12 months… More than TRIPLED the S&P 500's return in 2025… and has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 25 years by more than 1,100 percentage points. According to one Wall Street veteran, with over 40 years of professional investing experience… the biggest gains could be still ahead. That's why he's urging you to make one money move now.

That's why he's urging you to make one money move now.

Top Market Headlines

3 AI Data Center Power Stocks to Buy in July

Eaton's electrical backlog jumped 48% and Caterpillar's Power Generation revenue rose 41% year-over-year, both driven by surging data-center infras...

Read The Full Story

Ray Dalio Says "Gold Is the Future". This ETF Pays You 64% to Own It (Ad)

Ray Dalio is urging investors to shift 10% of their portfolio into gold. But one ETF lets you go a step further: earn up to $1,152/month. It's part of a new wave of funds that pay you every 30 days.

Watch the video now and discover the #1 fund for monthly payouts.
Financial Edge Daily SMS
Your Phone Is Smarter Than Your Inbox

Not every market move can wait. Our text alerts deliver the ones that can't. One short alert, straight to your phone, when something is worth seeing now. No fluff. No noise. No charge.

Text Me the Alerts

Western Digital, Sandisk, Micron, Nvidia, SpaceX, and More Stocks That Explain Today's Market

Western Digital and Sandisk are rising as the artificial-intelligence trade regains momentum.

Read The Full Story

Are Consumer Discretionary Stocks Lagging Colruyt (CUYTY) This Year?

Here is how Colruyt SA Unsponsored ADR (CUYTY) and Flexsteel Industries (FLXS) have performed compared to their sector so far this year.

Read The Full Story

SpaceX 'Dark Energy' Replaces Foreign Oil (Ad)

For years, we've been told SpaceX is a rocket company. But according to new satellite images from 300 miles above the Earth's surface, there is something very strange going on at SpaceX right now that has nothing to do with space. It could soon replace our need for foreign oil forever and ignite a $10 trillion boom for the stocks involved.

Click here to learn more.

Best Value Stocks to Buy for July 6th

ESEA, OPFI and CION made it to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) value stocks list on July 6, 2026.

Read The Full Story

Gold Is Soaring But Are You Getting Paid Monthly? (Ad)

While gold posts its strongest gains since 1979, income expert Tim Plaehn reveals a quiet $15 fund turning this historic surge into massive monthly income: up to $1,152 every month.

Discover here the gold income strategy that pays you.

📈 Also Trending

The Energy Shock Is Here
The Energy Shock Is Here (Ad)

Tanker traffic through Hormuz has collapsed. LNG capacity is offline. Countries are already rationing fuel. Energy shocks don’t stay contained—they spread through the entire economy. As a market technician, I’ve studied these cycles for decades, and they always lead to monetary response—and currency...

See the four companies positioned for this shift.

"I've been tracking this one ticker for years. Right now, it's the best setup I've ever seen." (Ad)

It has nothing to do with AI, tech, or precious metals. Most investors have never heard of it. But every time the Fed has made a major move, this ticker has moved with it… and the profits have been extraordinary. 117% in under a month. 89% in seventeen days. 35% in two days. Now Trump is triggering...

Click here to get the name of this ticker — completely free.

Trump Admin to Pump $1 Billion into this
Trump Admin to Pump $1 Billion into this "Off-the-Radar" AI Stock (Ad)

The U.S. government pumped more than $1 billion into Intel. The stock popped 128%. It pumped $400 million into MP Materials. The stock popped 200%. It bought 10% of Trilogy Metals. The stock popped 500%. And now, Trump has chosen this AI stock for a $1 billion payday.

Click here for the full story and stock pick (free).

Keep Reading