| U.S. stocks finished higher Thursday, extending this week’s gains as upbeat corporate earnings and stabilizing economic signals boosted investor confidence. The Nasdaq once again led the charge, lifted by strength in AI infrastructure and enterprise software—Broadcom (AVGO) rallied on new AI chip deployment wins, and Snowflake (SNOW) rose after announcing expanded partnerships with major cloud providers. The S&P 500 followed closely behind, helped by a bounce in consumer and healthcare names: Walmart (WMT) gained on strong back-to-school spending data, while Merck (MRK) climbed on positive regulatory news tied to its oncology pipeline. The Dow also advanced, with Boeing (BA) recovering after easing supply chain concerns and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) pushing higher following bullish updates on card spending and credit performance. Oil prices remained steady, offering modest tailwinds to energy stocks. Overall, today’s session reflected growing confidence in the earnings cycle and a market that’s cautiously leaning into risk, powered by fundamentals rather than speculation.
Market Drivers: 📱Technology: Broadcom Rallies, Snowflake Climbs: Broadcom (AVGO) advanced after announcing new AI chip deployments tied to hyperscaler demand and next-gen data center rollouts. Snowflake (SNOW) gained as investors responded positively to expanded partnerships across major cloud platforms and new enterprise client wins. 🏦 Financials: JPMorgan Gains, U.S. Bancorp Dips: JPMorgan Chase (JPM) rose on upbeat commentary around credit card spending and continued strength in corporate lending. U.S. Bancorp (USB) slipped modestly after reporting margin pressure and slower-than-expected deposit growth in its Q2 update. 🚗 Automotive: Ford Moves Higher, Lucid Lags: Ford Motor (F) ticked up as the company highlighted growing demand for hybrid models and reaffirmed production targets. Lucid Group (LCID) fell as investors reacted to weaker reservation data and concerns about its capital position heading into the second half of the year. 🏥 Healthcare: Merck Advances, Pfizer Drifts: Merck & Co. (MRK) climbed after the FDA granted accelerated review for its new oncology drug, boosting sentiment around its pipeline strength. Pfizer (PFE) was little changed, with markets digesting ongoing challenges in its COVID-related product portfolio. 🍔 Consumer Discretionary: Walmart Gains, Starbucks Slips: Walmart (WMT) rose following strong early back-to-school spending trends and positive foot traffic data. Starbucks (SBUX) edged lower as investors weighed the impact of higher operating costs and mixed international sales updates. This Is the NEXT Palantir: One tiny stock could be your second shot at 1,700%+ gains…[ad] | 