US Equity Indexes Rise as Communication Services Tops Sectors Amid Iran's Retaliation Warning Shots
US equity indexes rose after midday Thursday as investors weighed mega-cap corporate earnings and a warning from Iran's new supreme leader that Tehran won't give up its nuclear stockpile.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.4% to 49,552.2, with the S&P 500 up 0.5% to 7,170.3. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1% to 24,700.5. All sectors except technology and consumer discretionary rose. Communication services, industrials, and health care led the gainers.Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) shares jumped 7%, among the leaders on the Nasdaq, after the company overnight reported higher Q1 earnings and revenue that topped market expectations. Qualcomm's (QCOM) shares soared 14%, the top performer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the company posted better-than-expected fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue late Wednesday. Caterpillar (CAT) raised its full-year sales growth outlook as Q1 results exceeded market expectations. Its shares soared 8.7%, the Dow's leader.Meta Platforms' (META) shares sank 9%, among the worst performers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the company overnight raised its forecast for 2026 capital expenditures, overshadowing its Q1 earnings and revenue beat. Microsoft (MSFT) said Wednesday that it expects capital expenditures of $190 billion for the 2026 calendar year, including roughly $25 billion from higher component pricing. Shares were down 4.6%, among the steepest decliners on the Nasdaq and the Dow.Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump will hear about updated military options for Iran from Pentagon officials on Thursday, as a possible way of forcing Tehran into an agreement, CNN reported. Trump's current strategy is to inflict economic pain on Iran.Iran's new supreme leader gave a rare statement Thursday, vowing not to give up the country's nuclear or missile technologies and signaling Tehran would keep control of the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported. Iran will "guard" its "advanced technologies" like it does its own borders, Mojtaba Khamenei was cited as saying in a written statement. It will "secure the Persian Gulf region and dismantle the hostile enemy's exploitation of this waterway," he added, referring to the strait.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell 2.2% to $104.49, and Brent crude futures dropped 3.3% to $114.09.In precious metals, gold futures climbed 1.3% to $4,621.5, and silver futures jumped 2.1% to $73.07.Most US Treasury yields dropped, with the 10-year down 1.8 basis points to 4.4% and the two-year slumped 4.3 basis points to 3.89%.In economic news, the personal consumption expenditures price index increased by 0.7% in March, as expected, lifting the year-over-year rate to 3.5% from 2.8%. The price index increased by 0.4% month-over-month in February. The core PCE price index increased by 0.3%, as expected, following a 0.4% gain in February. The year-over-year rate accelerated to 3.2% from 3.0% in the previous month.US economic growth, measured by gross domestic product, rose by 2.0% in Q1 after a 0.5% gain in Q4, slower than a 2.3% increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.US initial jobless claims fell to 189,000 in the week ended April 25 from an upwardly revised 215,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for an increase to 212,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg. The four-week moving average declined by 3,500 to 207,500.
