Traders work
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as U.S. stocks push toward record highs ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.

NEW YORK — U.S. stock indices surged to new highs last week ahead of a key Federal Reserve meeting, with artificial intelligence-related shares among the leaders. Investors are watching closely for possible signals from the Fed as rate expectations and buy zones for several major stocks come into focus.

Indexes and Market Rally

  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all posted notable weekly gains, pushing to record territory.
  • Smaller-cap and equal-weight indexes also showed strength, underscoring that the advance was not limited to only megacaps and tech.

Fed Meeting Looms

  • The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet Sept. 16–17. Markets widely expect a quarter-point rate hike, with many participants looking for dovish commentary from Chair Jerome Powell.
  • The outlook for 2026 includes speculation about rate cuts, though many Fed officials are cautious on moving too fast.

Stocks Near Buy Points

Several leading stocks are approaching or surpassing technical thresholds that traders often view as potential entry points:

  • Nvidia (NVDA) reclaimed its 50-day moving average and has a flat base with a buy point at about $184.48. An early entry could be the recent high of $180.28.
  • GE Vernova (GEV) similarly moved above its 50-day line; it has a base with a buy point near $677.29, with an early-entry possibility at $653.50.
  • Tesla (TSLA) soared roughly 12.85% in the week, breaking past its consolidation buy point of $367.71. Shares are now considered "extended," meaning there's less technical support near current levels.
  • Meta Platforms (META) is holding just above its 50-day line; ahead of its upcoming Connect conference, it is maintaining a consolidation, with a shallow base. A potential early entry is the high of Sept. 8 ($766.51).

Other names mentioned in strong technical setups include Rocket Lab, which broke out of a cup-with-handle base and is just inside its buy zone.

What Investors Are Doing

  • Many market participants are "heavily invested" but cautious, especially avoiding buying stocks that are already extended.
  • Sectors tied to tech, semiconductors, and innovation ETFs posted solid gains.

Outlook

As the Fed meeting approaches, all eyes will be on whether the central bank underscores concerns about inflation or signals greater openness to future rate cuts. How Powell frames the outlook for labor, growth and inflation could shape whether the recent gains are sustainable

Rocket lab