Institutional Flows Drive Stock Market as Meta Surges 13% on AI Announcements

Institutional investors have reasserted control as the primary driving force in U.S. equities, maintaining strong appetite for artificial intelligence leaders despite surging Treasury yields. Meta Platforms shares advanced nearly 13% over the week following the debut of its Muse personal AI agent and Muse Charm hardware. Vanda Research reported institutional options volume tracking roughly three times higher than typical September levels, even as 10-year and 30-year yields reached decade highs. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs noted retail trading volume fell over three percentage points below its five-year average, though the S&P 500 rose more than 1% weekly.