After Fed rate cut, the next 6 months will be crucial for investors. Here’s why. Traders brace for volatility as more than $5 trillion in options set to expire in latest ‘triple witching’. Nvidia’s stock is surging. Here’s how it tends to perform after interest-rate cuts.

The Dow closed 522 points, or 1.3%, higher, reaching a new record after passing the 42,000 level for the first time. The S&P 500 rose 1.7%, topping 5,700 for the first time and also closing at a fresh high. The Nasdaq Composite added 2.5%.

The decision by the Fed's policy-setting committee to cut interest rates for the first time since March 2020 was prefaced by an unusual amount of market uncertainty as to how much the central bank would lower its benchmark rate from a two-decade high of 5.25% to 5.5%, where it has stood since July 2023.