The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied, with Apple and UnitedHealth being top performers. Tesla spiked as CEO Elon Musk confirmed layoffs and issued a warning. Bitcoin bounced back above the $20,000 level following last week's meltdown.
There was no breakout activity following challenging recent action. But Dollar General is worth watching after it bullishly pushed toward a buy point.
Volume was split, slipping on the Nasdaq and coming in flat on the New York Stock Exchange according to early data. This is not comparable though due to quadruple witching.
Meanwhile, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose seven basis points to 3.31%. West Texas Intermediate crude rose early 1% to trade at nearly $111 per barrel.
Nasdaq Jumps As Growth Stocks Surge
The Nasdaq was fighting back gamely after last week's spanking. The tech-heavy index gained 2.5%. Lucid Motors was a top performer as it surged 7.6%.
The S&P 500 was also in rally mode, rising by the same amount as the Nasdaq. Diamondback Energy was a standout here as it gained 8.2%.
The S&P 500 sectors were all positive. Energy, consumer discretionary and technology were among the best-performing areas.
Small caps also gave the bears a bloody nose. The Russell 2000 popped 1.9%.
Growth stocks also impressed, with the Innovator IBD 50 ETF, a bellwether for growth stocks, ending the session up 3.5%.
Dow Jones Today: Apple Stock Pops
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was also having a strong session as it surged more than 600 points, or 2.2%. It is back above the key 30,000 level.
Apple stock was one of the best performers, rising 3.3%. Nevertheless, painful recent action means it remains rooted below its 50-day moving average, according to MarketSmith analysis.
But it was UnitedHealth that was turning in the best gain on the Dow Jones today. While it closed off highs it still rose 6.3%.
Walt Disney the worst performer as it dipped 1.1%. It was one of only three components to give up ground Tuesday.
Tesla Stock Surges As Elon Musk Confirms This Move
Tesla stock was soaring after CEO Elon Musk confirmed the carmaker is looking to cut 10% of its workforce Tuesday.
"Tesla is reducing its salaried workforce by roughly 10% over the next probably three months or so," the eccentric executive said at a Bloomberg event.
While he still expects his company's hourly workforce to grow, he said the firm had grown "a little too fast in some areas."
The news bolstered TSLA stock, which pulled away from the lows of its current consolidation. It was a top performer on both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 as it ended the day up 9.4%.
Nevertheless, it remains a far way from a potential entry of 1,208.10, MarketSmith analysis shows. The former Leaderboard stock sits about 10% below its 50-day moving average.
Musk also said that a recession "is inevitable at some point."
"As to whether there is a recession in the near term, that is more likely than not," he added.
Musk also gave an update on his mooted takeover of Twitter. He highlighted three "unresolved matters" that need to be addressed: fake accounts, securing debt financing and getting shareholder approval. Twitter stock ended Tuesday with a gain of 2.9%.
Bitcoin Bounces After Shellacking
Bitcoin was rallying following a severe sell-off. Whether this was just a dead cat bounce remains to be seen.
It was trading for just under $21,000 as it gained 3.5% in the past 24 hours, according to CoinDesk.
The cryptocurrency has been rocked as investors fled to the exits as they shed risky assets from their portfolios.
"Surging borrowing costs, margin calls, and excessive leveraged speculation helped accelerate the selling pressure over the past two weeks," Oanda senior market analyst Edward Moya said in a note to clients. "The entire cryptocurrency market is seeing some buyers emerge as the selling pressure may have been overdone."
Bitcoin plays such as Riot Blockchain and Coinbase Global popped. Bitcoin miner RIOT rocketed 9.5%, while cryptocurrency exchange COIN rose 12.2%.
Both stocks remain miles off their all-time highs, though. Both are also stuck beneath their major moving averages.
The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust was also in rally mode, finishing the session up 12.3%.
Market Rallies As Fed's Powell Looms; 7 Stocks To Watch
Outside Dow Jones: Dollar General Surges Toward Entry
With the market still in the grip of a correction, investors should be seeking watchlist candidates.
Dollar General is a good candidate as it surged toward a cup-with-handle base with a buy point of 240.07 on Tuesday.
The RS line is looking strong in recent weeks and has just hit fresh heights.
Shares of the discount retailer are now pulling away from the key 50-day moving average. DG stock fell 1.1% to 230.80 last week but is now looking strong.
With recession looming, even Dollar General shoppers are having to tighten their belts. U.S. consumers, the backbone of economic growth, are not as optimistic these days as they usually are.
Dollar General has struggled to top the sales and earnings growth rates it posted during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the company boosted its outlook for the year in its latest quarterly report as shoppers continue to look for deals to mitigate inflation pain.
DG stock sites near the summit of the Retail-Discount & Variety industry group. Dollar Tree and BJs Wholesale are also among the group's highest-rated stocks.
Dollar General got some airtime toward the end of Tuesday's IBD Live show on Zoom.
Please follow Michael Larkin on Twitter at @IBD_MLarkin for more on growth stocks and analysis.
