S&P 500 Reaches New Record Closing High As U.S. Stocks Extend Uptrend

Stocks moved mostly higher over the course of the trading day on Thursday, extending the strong upward move seen over the past several sessions. The S&P 500 closed higher for the seventh time in the past eight sessions, reaching a new record closing high.

The major averages reached new highs going into the close of trading. The Dow jumped 408.34 points or 0.9 percent to 44,565.07, the S&P 500 climbed 32.34 points or 0.5 percent to 6,118.71 and the Nasdaq rose 44.34 points or 0.2 percent at 20,051.68.

The markets continued to benefit from recent upward momentum, which has help stocks largely offset the sell-off seen earlier this month.

Optimism about a more pro-business administration under new President Donald Trump has helped offset concerns about the outlook for interest rates.

Potentially adding to the positive sentiment, Trump said during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he will “demand that interest rates drop immediately.”

Trump also said he would ask Saudi Arabia and other members of OPEC […]

U.S. Stocks Close Higher Again; Nasdaq Rises 1.3 P.c.

U.S. stocks closed on a firm note on Wednesday as investors reacted positively to some upbeat earnings updates and corporate news, and on continued optimism about a few interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.

Worries about tariff threats lingered but investors largely shrugged off concerns and kept picking up stocks.

The major averages all closed on a strong note, with the tech-laden Nasdaq recording a more pronounced gain thanks to buoyant earnings and sales guidance by Netflix, and Trump’s AI initiative.

The Dow closed up 130.92 points or 0.3 percent, at 44,156.73. The S&P 500 gained 37.13 points or 0.61 percent, settling at 6,086.37, while the Nasdaq climbed 252.56 points or 1.28 percent, to 20,009.34.

Trump’s announcement of a $500 billion private-sector AI infrastructure investment plan from a venture involving Oracle, Open AI and Softbank set the stage for tech stocks’s strong performance.

Oracle Corp shares surged nearly 7 percent, NVIDIA climbed about 4.2 percent, Microsoft gained nearly 4 percent and Meta Platforms closed up by about 2.7 percent.

Netflix soared […]