Artificial intelligence (AI) is boosting the US stock market, with megacap stocks such as Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Nvidia, Apple and Meta platforms responsible for the majority of the S&P 500’s 9% year-to-date return. About 25% to 50% of the gains are due to optimism around AI, according to DataTrek Research. Societe Generale has predicted removing the top 20 stocks linked with AI from the S&P 500 would reduce the index’s performance by 10%. Analysts view AI as a major driver of future productivity and profit, citing generative AI as producing margin-expanding productivity gains.
US stock market crash fears ease even as Middle East war rages on
Options traders’ fears of a U.S. stock market crash have significantly receded, with key indices like the Nations TailDex and Cboe Skew returning to pre-Iran
March 17, 2026