New York [US], July 26: U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday, buoyed by strong corporate earnings and encouraging developments on the trade front.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.47 percent to 44,901.92. The S&P 500 gained 0.4 percent to reach a new high of 6,388.64. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.24 percent to end at 21,108.32, marking its 15th record close of 2025.
Most sectors in the S&P 500 ended the day in positive territory, with materials and industrials leading the gainers by rising 1.17 percent and 0.98 percent, respectively. Energy and communication services declined slightly.
The market's recent rally has been driven in large part by a better-than-expected earnings season. Alphabet's growth contributed to investor optimism, and Verizon also rose after posting earnings that surpassed expectations.
As of now, 169 S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with more than 82 percent beating analysts' forecasts, according to FactSet.
Among megacap tech stocks, Tesla rebounded with a 3.52 percent gain after a steep drop the previous day. Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet and Broadcom also advanced modestly, while Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Amazon edged lower.
"The bull market lives on, supported largely by favorable fundamentals," Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, told CNBC. "Inflation is stable, interest rates are range-bound and earnings are trending higher, and that presents a favorable backward drop for stocks to trend higher. We still look for a risk-on bias to be intact as we move through this earnings season."
Looking ahead, a busy week is expected, with major tech earnings on deck: more than 150 S&P 500 companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Meta, are all set to report their earnings next week. A decision from the Federal Reserve on interest rates will be made, and key reports on economic growth and inflation are going to be focused.
Additionally, markets are anticipating potential trade announcements ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, when the United States is scheduled to impose steep tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Friday that more deals could be finalized in the coming days, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed plans to meet with Trump in Scotland on Sunday to discuss trade.
"Tariffs remain an item of uncertainty, and commentary from companies still reflects this ongoing uncertainty," Sandven said.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
