📈 Stocks / Finance

Earnings boost S&P 500 to record high, Dow to six-week high

Nasdaq

Major indices gained Thursday, with the S&P 500 up 0.53%, setting a record high, while strong Q4 earnings from GE (+6%) and Union Pacific (+5%) boosted sentiment. Challenges included weak unemployment data and chip stock losses. Nasdaq lagged as the 10-year yield hit 4.638%.

Jobless claims rise, but labor market remains resilient

Reuters

Weekly jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 223,000, while continuing claims hit a three-year high at 1.899 million. Despite localized effects from wildfires and weather, the labor market remains tight. Analysts expect no rate cuts from the Fed, with wage growth outpacing inflation.

Trump criticizes banks over alleged conservative bias

Reuters

President Trump accused Bank of America and JPMorgan of denying services to conservatives during a World Economic Forum address, citing no evidence. Both banks denied political bias, attributing account closures to regulatory compliance. Analysts note potential regulatory impacts from Trump’s remarks.

🪙 Crypto

Trump backs crypto innovation with national digital asset strategy

CNBC

President Trump signed an executive order promoting U.S. crypto development, including a potential national digital asset stockpile from seized assets. The order emphasizes innovation, blockchain protections, and stablecoin growth. Pro-crypto officials are set to lead key regulatory agencies.

🌎 Global Economy

Global stocks climb as tariffs soften

Yahoo Finance

Global stocks reached record highs as President Trump signaled a softer tariff stance on China. The MSCI All-Country Index marked its longest rally in a year. The yen strengthened post-BOJ rate hike, while US Treasury yields dipped, and the dollar fell to a one-month low.