Live Nasdaq Composite: Rising Tech Lifts Stock Market Tide on Improving Sentiment

By Gerelyn Terzo Updated Apr 22, 2:28PM EDT · Published Apr 22, 10:06AM EDT

Quick Read

Alphabet (GOOGL), Salesforce (CRM), and Datadog (DDOG) are leading market gains on AI expansion. Alphabet rolled out sweeping Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform features with a deepened Google Cloud-Salesforce partnership enabling AI agents to execute workflows across both platforms; Salesforce’s Agentforce platform reached $800 million in ARR, up 169% year-over-year, and Datadog introduced GPU monitoring tools for AI workloads as GPUs account for 14% of total compute expenditures.
Geopolitical relief from Trump’s Iran ceasefire extension and a major AI agent rollout from Google are driving broad market gains across all three major averages, with the Nasdaq up 0.75%.

Live Updates

Intraday High

Apr 22, 2026 at 2:27 PM EDT

Today’s gains have sent the Nasdaq Composite to a fresh intraday high, rising as much as 1.4% to 24,613. President Trump’s extension of the ceasefire with Iran as well as strong earnings out of corporate America have lifted market sentiment today.

Free Spirit

Apr 22, 2026 at 1:37 PM EDT

The White House is nearing a deal to rescue Spirit Airlines from insolvency. Spirit, which has filed for bankruptcy twice in as many years, previously attempted to combine with industry peer JetBlue but the deal fell through for regulatory concerns. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is considering extending a $500 million loan to Spirit in a move to salvage the airline and jobs. Rival budget airline Frontier Group (ULCC) stock is down 11.7% on the development.

The stock market has widened its gains on the day, with the Nasdaq Composite out front with a 1.4% advance on the day.

Tesla Spotlight

Apr 22, 2026 at 10:06 AM EDT

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) headlines the after-hours calendar with Q1 2026 results. The setup is cautious: consensus estimates call for revenue near $22.3 billion, EPS of $0.36, gross margins of roughly 16%, and free cash flow of negative $1.8 billion. Morgan Stanley is flagging potential margin disappointment and softer full-year delivery guidance. Tesla closed at $386 Tuesday, off 14% year-to-date but still up 70% over the past twelve months. A robotaxi update or delivery upside surprise could meaningfully shift Nasdaq momentum into Thursday

This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.

The markets are seeing the glass half full today, buoyed by a combination of geopolitical relief, a major Google AI rollout, and anticipation surrounding Tesla’s after-the-bell earnings report. All three of the major stock market averages are seeing green, including a 0.76% advance in the Nasdaq Composite. Overnight, President Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran while keeping a naval blockade in place pending a unified proposal from Tehran, steadying investor sentiment heading into the session.

Geopolitical risk hasn’t fully unwound. Three vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday despite the ceasefire extension, and Britain is coordinating with military planners from over 30 nations on reopening the waterway. WTI crude remains elevated near $101 per barrel. The VIX sits just below 19, well off its late-March peak of 31, reflecting improved investor and trader sentiment.

Here’s a look at where things stand as of morning trading:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 49,615 Up 0.95%
Nasdaq Composite: 24,481 Up 0.75%
S&P 500: 7,119 Up 0.78%

Market Movers

Google Doubles Down on AI Agents

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is a key driver of Wednesday’s optimism. The company rolled out a sweeping set of AI tools centered on its Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, introducing features including Memory Bank, Memory Profile, and an Agent Simulation capability that allows developers to stress-test tools prior to deployment. Google Cloud and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) also announced a deepened partnership aimed at enabling AI agents to execute seamless end-to-end workflows across both platforms. Alphabet shares, which closed at $332 Tuesday, have surged 125% over the past year. Salesforce — up 9% over the past week despite a 29% year-to-date decline — stands to benefit directly, with its Agentforce platform already reporting $800 million in ARR, up 169% year-over-year last quarter.

Datadog (Nasdaq: DDOG) stock is up 1% today. The company has introduced a GPU monitoring mechanism built specifically for AI workloads, giving organizations a consolidated view of GPU health, costs, and performance metrics tied directly to individual teams and jobs. The system is designed to sharpen capacity planning, speed up failure diagnosis, and eliminate unnecessary overhead. Datadog underscores the financial stakes behind the launch, pointing out that GPUs now account for 14% of total compute expenditures.

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About the Author Gerelyn Terzo →

Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.