Stocks End Week on Gains as Amazon and Microsoft Drive Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P 500 Up
After a roller‑coaster two weeks, the market finally found its footing on Friday. All three major U.S. indices closed higher— the Nasdaq Composite leapt 1 %, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.5 %, and the S&P 500 edged up 0.7 %— ending a losing streak that had kept investors on edge.
The rally’s biggest spark came from Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). At the close of regular trading, Amazon shares surged 15.32 % to $271.58, a jump of $36.08 from the previous close. The boost was largely driven by Amazon Web Services (AWS), whose expanding market share continues to fuel the company’s growth story. After hours, the stock eased 0.40 % to $270.50, but the headline‑making climb left a lasting impression.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) joined the party, buoyed by a robust cloud performance. Microsoft Cloud revenue hit $46.7 billion, up 27 % year‑over‑year, while Azure alone grew 34 %. The company’s productivity and business processes segment also saw a 14 % rise to $37.8 billion. These numbers translated into a solid lift for Microsoft’s stock and helped push the broader market higher.
Not all tech names were on the winning side. Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) saw their shares decline over the week. Apple’s announcement of its third fiscal‑quarter 2026 earnings—corresponding to the second calendar quarter—coincided with a week‑long drop. Meta’s shares fell 1.80 % in the past 24 hours. The social‑media giant’s AI‑infrastructure bets are projected to generate more than $90 billion in revenue through 2027, and early‑2026 advertising growth is expected to exceed 30 %, but investors remained wary.
The Consumer Discretionary sector emerged as the top‑performing group, largely thanks to Amazon’s e‑commerce and cloud businesses. Other players in the sector also posted gains, bolstering the sector’s overall performance.
In sum, the week’s gains underline a rebound in technology stocks, especially those with strong cloud and AI components. While Amazon and Microsoft led the rally, Apple and Meta lagged, highlighting the uneven terrain of the sector. Investors will keep a close eye on upcoming earnings calls—Amazon’s Thursday, July 30 conference call on Q2 2026 results, for example—to gauge the broader market’s health.
The market remains poised for the next earnings cycle, with several high‑profile companies scheduled to report in the coming weeks. As the week closed, the Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P 500 all finished higher, signaling renewed investor confidence after a period of volatility.
