(April 24): US stocks rose on Thursday as the stalemate between Washington and Tehran continued while investors pored over corporate earnings.
The S&P 500 Index gained 0.0297% at 11.45am in New York, while the Nasdaq 100 Index advanced 0.1%. Brent crude gained 1.4% to US$103.35. The Cboe Volatility Index hovered around 19. Meanwhile, the SOX Index climbed 2.8%, putting it on track to further extend its record-breaking winning streak.
A positive reaction to Texas Instruments Inc’s earnings “is giving investors another reason to favour tech in general, and semis specifically, once again,” said Interactive Brokers’ Steve Sosnick. The strong earnings outweighed the negative news about the blockades in the Persian Gulf, he said.
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Iran was suffering from infighting and that the US has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz”. Additionally, Trump ordered US Navy to shoot any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington is waiting for a response from Iran before the warring sides can restart peace talks. With the stalemate and worsening tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices are rising.
Earnings season continued, Texas Instruments surged 18% after the chipmaker gave a surprisingly strong forecast, which was helped by booming spending on data centres and industrial equipment.
See also: Nasdaq 100, S&P 500 finish at record on Intel’s blowout results
Tesla Inc fell 2.3% after telling investors that it expects billions of dollars in additional spending this year to support its push to become an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company.
In recent quarters, the Magnificent Seven have continued to increase their spending plans in pursuit of dominance in AI. Tesla said capital expenditures in 2026 will exceed US$25 billion, which is roughly three times last year’s outlay.
Honeywell International Inc tumbled 2.6% after the company said war in the Middle East was hurting revenue, particularly for its process automation unit that serves the customers in the energy industry. International Business Machines Corp fell 7.9% as quarterly results in its software unit failed to shake concerns about AI disruption to its business.
See also: US stocks decline as Iran jitters spur rally in oil
Comcast Corp jumped 7.7% after reporting first-quarter (1Q) financial results that exceeded expectations. CSX Corp rose 6.9% after the freight transportation company delivered a 1Q profit beat.
American Airlines Group Inc gained 4.3% after the carrier delivered a narrower-than-expected adjusted loss per share forecast for the full year. Southwest Airlines Co dropped 3.2% after declining to update its full-year profit guidance as carriers contend with soaring fuel prices amid the Iran war.
Uploaded by Felyx Teoh
