What Happened?
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after reports of easing geopolitical tensions in Greenland boosted investor sentiment.
The relief rally saw major indices, including the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, rebound as investors moved back into riskier assets. This positive shift was reflected across the technology landscape, with all of the Magnificent Seven tech firms seeing their shares climb. The easing of international friction reduced market uncertainty, which often encourages investment in growth-oriented sectors like technology. The move was part of a broader market upswing, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 500 points, signaling increased investor confidence.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.
Among others, the following stocks were impacted:
- Sales Software company HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) jumped 4.4%. Is now the time to buy HubSpot? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Design Software company Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) jumped 4.4%. Is now the time to buy Autodesk? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Finance and Accounting Software company BILL (NYSE: BILL) jumped 4.3%. Is now the time to buy BILL? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Banking Software company nCino (NASDAQ: NCNO) jumped 4.4%. Is now the time to buy nCino? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- HR Software company Paylocity (NASDAQ: PCTY) jumped 4.9%. Is now the time to buy Paylocity? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Zooming In On Paylocity (PCTY)
Paylocity’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 4 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 8 days ago when the stock dropped 2.7% on the news that tech stocks pulled back as reports surfaced that Chinese customs authorities blocked Nvidia's H200 AI chips, effectively halting their entry despite recent U.S. export approvals.
This semiconductor sell-off, led by Broadcom and Micron, reflected deepening fears that the "AI trade" was colliding with a protectionist "new normal." Investors were concerned about the prospect of a fragmented global order where tech giants are caught between Washington's industrial strategy and Beijing's push for semiconductor sovereignty. Broadening the risk, markets were also agitated about the Justice Department's investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, sparking concerns over central bank independence. This domestic political friction, paired with rising oil prices from Iranian civil unrest, likely forced a pivot from growth to defense.
Paylocity is up 1.3% since the beginning of the year, but at $147.66 per share, it is still trading 32.2% below its 52-week high of $217.86 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Paylocity’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $732.52.
While Wall Street chases Nvidia at all-time highs, an under-the-radar semiconductor supplier is dominating a critical AI component these giants can’t build without. Click here to access our full research report, it’s free.
