Stocks held on to robust gains up until the close Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other major indexes powered higher for the third straight session. Earlier tariff talk from President Donald Trump and China in the ongoing trade battle had little effect on investors on the stock market today.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added to Wednesday's 1.1% gain by climbing 1.2%, or 486 points, pushing it past the 40,000 mark. The S&P 500 jumped 2% as the benchmark index neared the 5,500 level.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq set the pace with a 2.7% increase, as the tech-heavy index blew past 17,000. In small caps, the Russell 2000 also flourished with a 2% bump.
The Nasdaq, S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 moved back above their 21-day exponential moving averages after failing to top them Wednesday. The Dow was testing that watermark. All four indexes remain well below their 200-day moving averages.
On the Nasdaq exchange, rising stocks topped falling issues by more than 3-to-1, while on the New York Stock Exchange gainers beat losers by around 5-to-1. Volume was significantly lower on both the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange vs. the same time Wednesday.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield shed eight basis points to 4.31%. Oil prices bumped up to $62.69 a barrel. Bitcoin held around $93,650.
Among the stock winners, ServiceNow jumped after a positive earnings report while Google-parent Alphabet popped as its earnings release neared. IBD 50 name CrowdStrike Holdings forged ahead and broke out of a base.
Stock Market Today: Aerospace Parts Stock Breaks Out
Another gainer was Loar Holdings, which spiked nearly 7% and broke out of a cup-with-handle base with a 90.79 buy point. The aerospace parts name is in a buy range up to 95.33. Its relative strength line hit a 52-week high.
Loar's full-year earnings estimates call for 75% growth this year, then 30% in 2026. Loar boasts a best-possible 99 Composite Rating.
Loar stock is on the IBD 50, IPO Leaders and the IBD Leaderboard watchlist. It holds the top spot out of 72 names in the Aerospace/Defense group, which ranks No. 4 out of the 197 industry groups that Investor's Business Daily tracks.
3:21 p.m. ET
Netflix Hits A High, Pawn Shop Stock Breaks Out
Other winners included IBD 50 name Netflix, which saw another robust day of gains as shares rallied more than 4%. The stock hit an all-time high Thursday. The streaming entertainment stock is extended from the buy zone of a double-bottom base with a 988.70 entry. Shares are on pace for their fifth-straight day of gains after a positive earnings release last week.
FirstCash Holdings surged and broke out of a long cup-with-handle base with a 129.61 buy point. The pawn shop stock is in a buy zone up to 136.09.
FirstCash reported better-than-expected profit and sales for the first quarter, although its revenue was flat compared to the prior year. It operates 3,000 retail pawn and consumer lending locations in 29 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Latin America.
Guidewire Software progressed roughly 3% higher, near the 201 buy point of a double-bottom base. Its relative strength line is at a 52-week high. The insurance industry software maker was Wednesday's IBD Stock Of The Day.
2 p.m. ET
Google Parent Climbs On Palantir Deal
Alphabet rose roughly 2% ahead of the company's first-quarter earnings release, due after the market close. The stock may have gotten a boost on news it is expanding its partnership with Palantir Technologies. Palantir's FedStart platform will be accessible through Google Cloud infrastructure.
Alphabet stock reclaimed its 21-day line and is on pace for its third straight day of gains. But the Magnificent Seven name has lagged, with shares losing 16% so far this year.
Meanwhile, Palantir jumped and is building the right side of a cup base with a 125.41 buy point. The data analytics stock is holding above the 100 price level and is extended from a 98.17 buy point out of a double-bottom base.
Fellow Magnificent Seven names Tesla and Nvidia also climbed on the stock market today. Tesla notched a 1.8% gain on the heels of its first-quarter earnings report Tuesday. The stock is back above its 21-day line as it looks to extend its two-day rally.
Nvidia tacked on an additional 3.6% on the stock market today. Like Google and Tesla, Nvidia stock is looking for its third straight day of increases.
Nasdaq Hasn't Done This In 24 Years; Google Earnings Beat
12:41 p.m. ET
Trump, China Trade Tariff Talk; Durable Goods Soar
President Donald Trump said Wednesday night he will set new tariff rates on China in two to three weeks, but he also said if there's no China deal, it's "OK." On Thursday, China responded by saying said Trump should "remove all unilateral tariffs imposed on China" and denied trade talks were happening.
The U.S. Census Bureau's March durable goods report showed new orders surged 9.2%. That came in well ahead of the 1.4% expected and soared past February's 0.9% increase.
On the employment front, initial weekly jobless claims for the week ended April 19 tallied 222,000. That exceeded economists' forecasts for 220,000 and the prior week's revised 216,000.
Stock Market Today: Financial Stock Tanks, CrowdStrike Breaks Out
Fiserv plummeted in enormous volume despite beating first-quarter profit and revenue estimates. But investors focused on its full-year 2025 earnings outlook that was below forecasts. The financial services stock knifed below its 200-day line, flashing a sell signal. Shares also fell below the bottom of its current consolidation pattern.
Fiserv stock is on track for its largest decrease since March 16, 2020, when it fell 16.67%, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
CrowdStrike Holdings broke out of a cup-with-handle base with a 400.02 buy point. The IBD 50 name is in buy range up to 420.02. But the buy point is only used during strong market environments and IBD continues to recommend 0% to 20% stock market exposure. Its relative strength line reached a 52-week high, as shown by the blue dot on its chart.
Hasbro rocketed higher after the toy maker crushed first-quarter estimates for profit and revenue. Shares retook their 50-day line on the stock market today.
10:39 a.m. ET
Stock Market Today: ServiceNow Rallies After Earnings
ServiceNow soared 15% in heavy volume after the workflow software developer reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for the first quarter.
The company also predicted subscription revenue in a range of $3.03 billion to $3.035 billion for the second quarter. That topped estimates of $3.02 billion.
Shares retook their 50-day and 200-day moving averages on the stock market today. However, they have lost around 11% so far this year.
Newmont advanced after the gold producer handily beat first-quarter profit and revenue forecasts. The IBD 50 stock is nearing a 58.72 buy point of an early-stage deep cup base, according to MarketSurge pattern recognition.
Dow Jones name IBM tumbled more than 6% in heavy volume even after the company topped first-quarter sales and earnings estimates and gave a second-quarter sales outlook that was above views. Profit fell 5% while sales increased a modest 1% for the third straight quarter. Shares fell further below their 50-day moving average within a skewed consolidation pattern with a 266.45 buy point.
Other Stock Movers: Texas Instruments Bolts Higher
Texas Instruments jumped nearly 6% after the firm beat first-quarter profit and revenue projections and gave a second-quarter sales forecast that was above estimates. The chip stock retook its 21-day line. But it has been a weak performer, as seen in its 23 IBD Relative Strength Rating.
Medical device maker Penumbra reversed lower after initially breaking out of a double-bottom base with a 288.57 buy point. Penumbra reported higher-than-expected earnings and sales for the first quarter late Wednesday.
Follow Kimberley Koenig for more stock market news on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @IBD_KKoenig.
