Key takeout
- The S&P 500 saw a modest increase of 0.2% on August 27, 2025, reaching a new record as investors prepared for Nvidia’s upcoming revenue announcement.
- Albemarle’s stock climbed after UBS upgraded its rating, signaling a more favorable outlook for lithium prices.
- Paramount Skydance stock dropped, with analysts expressing concerns over the company’s ability to effectively manage its ratings across different product lines.
On Wednesday, investors were generally upbeat, looking ahead to Nvidia’s quarterly earnings report set for after the market closed.
The S&P 500 gained 0.2%, marking its highest closing value ever. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also went up by 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the day 0.3% higher.
Nvidia’s shares have surged around 35% recently, outperforming most large tech stocks, which remained fairly stable throughout the trading session.
Shares of Albemarle (ALB), the leading global lithium producer, surged by 7.5%, making it the top performer on the S&P 500 for the day. This upswing followed UBS’s upgrade from “sell” to “neutral” and a revised price target. Analysts have also raised their outlook for lithium prices in 2026 after observing recent production cuts in China. Albemarle, along with other lithium firms, is adapting to the challenges posed by a prolonged downturn in essential battery material prices.
The upgrade from UBS also positively impacted Wynn Macau, a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts (Wynn), as they shifted their rating from “neutral” to “buy”. The analysts highlighted improved growth expectations for Macau’s gaming revenue, possibly allowing premium operators to hold or enhance their market share. Wynn’s shares rose 3.5%, and other gaming companies tied to Macau, like MGM Resorts International (MGM) and Caesars Entertainment (CZR), also saw increases of over 3%.
A solid quarterly report from MongoDB (MDB) showed better-than-expected sales and profits, prompting a surge in its stock by around 38%. The increase was driven by strong customer growth and rising subscription revenues. This positive news lifted stocks of other database companies, including DataDog (DDOG).
Paramount Skydance (PSKY) had a rough day, with shares down 6.5%, making it the biggest loser among the S&P 500. The stock’s volatility has been notable since the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global earlier this month. Concerns grew following a downgrade of its stock price target by Morgan Stanley, alongside reassessments of adjusted operating profits.
Investor sentiment also dipped for SBA Communications (SBAC), after a downgrade from “buy” to “neutral” along with a lower price target. This reassessment occurred after Dish TV’s EchoStar (SATS) announced the sale of low-band spectral assets to AT&T (T), suggesting AT&T may ease its efforts in expanding network coverage. Consequently, SBAC’s shares plummeted 4.9% on Wednesday.
JM Smucker’s (SJM) shares fell by 4.4% after the food and beverage company reported losses for the first quarter. They mentioned facing tariff-related pressures, particularly in their U.S. retail coffee sector, which includes brands like Folger’s and Dunkin’. Executives indicated plans to increase coffee prices later in the year, a move influenced by a 50% tariff imposed by the Trump administration on certain Brazilian imports that took effect earlier this month.
