Wall Street's main indexes rose on Monday as investors weighed Anthropic's plans for a US listing against growing questions over whether massive AI investments can deliver sustainable returns. Technology stocks led the gains, while investors also looked ahead to a busy week of corporate earnings and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, Reuters reported.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.45%, the S&P 500 gained 0.57% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.46% in early trading.
Anthropic filing puts AI spending back in focus
Anthropic disclosed steep losses alongside rapid revenue growth in its IPO filing, highlighting both the scale of demand for AI and the heavy costs involved in developing the technology, according to Reuters.
The filing comes as investors are becoming more selective about AI spending. About a third of S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report earnings this week, including Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon. Their results are expected to provide clues on whether large investments in AI are translating into stronger growth, Reuters reported.
"It's a challenging environment, to say the least exactly when this IPO will take place, but there's a lot riding on not only the company, but the AI industry," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth in Fairfield.
The concerns have already weighed on some AI linked companies. Neocloud firms CoreWeave and Nebius fell after Elon Musk said markets have "almost entirely shut off access to money" for companies without substantial revenue independent of AI data centers, and predicted consolidation in the sector, Reuters reported.
Tesla jumps while Fed decision looms
Chip stocks, among the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom, were among the strongest performers, with the Philadelphia semiconductor index rising about 1%, Reuters reported.
Tesla gained 5.9% to a more than three month high after Barclays upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "equal weight".
Investors are also positioning for the Fed's policy decision on Wednesday, with a pause widely expected following its September rate hike. Attention will then turn to September's Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation data and third quarter GDP, both due Thursday, according to Reuters.
Crude oil prices eased after reaching a near six month high last week, while investors continued to monitor efforts to de escalate regional tensions.
(Disclaimer: This article is based on inputs from agencies. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
