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US stock markets surged higher on Thursday, with major indices including the Nasdaq and S&P 500 ending the day up more than 2%. The gains were driven by an unexpected drop in jobless claims, which eased concerns about a possible sharp slowdown in the labor market.
All sectors of the S&P 500 gained, with the biggest gainers being technology (.SPLRCT) and communications services (.SPLRCL). Small-caps also saw strong gains, with the Russell 2000 (.RUT) up 2.4%.
Among the top gainers was pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (LLY.N), which soared 9.5% after the company raised its full-year profit forecast and sales of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound topped $1 billion for the first time in a quarter.
A larger-than-expected decline in jobless claims gave markets a boost.
Last week, the US employment reports for July raised concerns about a possible recession, leading to a sharp decline in stocks. Traders also noted an unwinding of positions in the carry trade, a strategy in which investors borrow money from low-interest-rate economies to invest in high-yielding assets.
The market continues to react to macroeconomic data, and investors will be closely watching new data in the coming weeks to assess the state of the economy and possible prospects.
US stock indexes ended the trading day with significant gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 683.04 points, or 1.76%, to 39,446.49. The S&P 500 (.SPX) rose 119.81 points, or 2.30%, to 5,319.31. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) rose 464.22 points, or 2.87%, to end the day at 16,660.02.
The Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX), often called Wall Street's fear gauge, declined Thursday, suggesting that sentiment is stabilizing. However, experts caution that the current gains do not necessarily mean the market has bottomed out.
"Once volatility starts to rise, it takes a while for it to calm down," said David Lundgren, chief market strategist and portfolio manager at Little Harbor Advisors. He also added that the current growth does not guarantee an immediate continuation of the rise, but if we look at the three- to six-month horizon, the probability of above-average returns is quite high.
As the second-quarter earnings season comes to an end, investors are eagerly awaiting the final results. There were some disappointments at the start of the reporting period, but the market remains focused on the latest data.
One of the most significant events of the day was the sudden rise of Under Armour (UAA.N) shares by 19.2%. The company pleased investors with a surprise first-quarter profit, which was the result of successful efforts to reduce inventory and promotions.
Trading volume on U.S. exchanges amounted to 11.98 billion shares, slightly below the average of 12.60 billion over the past 20 trading days. However, the market remains active, and participants continue to closely monitor further economic indicators and corporate reports.
Advances outnumber decliners on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) 3.59 to 1. The same was true on the Nasdaq, where for every decliner, there were 2.76 gainers. The S&P 500 has posted 7 new highs in the past 52 weeks, but also 4 new lows. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite has posted 32 new highs, but 183 new lows.
A closely watched global stock index jumped more than 1% on Thursday, helped by lower-than-expected U.S. jobless claims data. The results eased recession fears and helped lift Treasury yields and the dollar.
Oil futures prices rose for a third straight day, led by rising supply risks in the Middle East, offsetting demand concerns that earlier this week sent prices to their lowest since early 2024.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial claims for federal unemployment benefits fell by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 233,000 in the week ended Aug. 3. That was the largest decline in 11 months and below economists' forecast of 240,000.
These jobless claims data are especially important following Friday's weaker-than-expected July jobs report, which triggered a slump in financial markets on Monday that affected not only the U.S. but also global markets. Amid such volatility, investors continue to watch economic data closely to gauge future market developments.
The recent market selloff was driven in part by investors unwinding their carry trades, a strategy that involves using cheap borrowing in Japan to buy dollars and other currencies that are then invested in higher-yielding assets. The unwinding of such trades sent Japanese stocks down 12% on Monday, followed by a 3% decline in the S&P 500 (.SPX).
Experts warn that there could be more volatility ahead, and it won't just be driven by the seasonal weakness that is typical in August and September. Heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the upcoming US elections and economic data that the Federal Reserve will be watching closely are creating a high degree of uncertainty in the market. "The market doesn't like uncertainty, and we are in that period now," says Irene Tankel, chief US equity strategist at BCA Research.
While US markets faced turbulence, Europe's STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed with a modest gain of 0.08%. The MSCI Global Equity Index (.MIWD00000PUS) also showed positive dynamics, rising 11.40 points, or 1.48%, to 782.10.
In currency markets, the dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of major global currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.09% to 103.20. The euro, by contrast, weakened slightly, falling 0.04% to $1.0917. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar strengthened 0.3% to 147.13.
Before Thursday, the global equity index had posted 16 days of gains or losses of more than 1% this year, while the S&P 500 had recorded 32 such moves. This highlights the record volatility that markets have seen this year, and investors should brace for more volatility in the coming months.
U.S. Treasury yields continued to rise on Thursday, helped by jobless claims data that bolstered confidence that the U.S. economy can avoid an imminent recession. The data supported expectations for economic resilience, pushing yields higher. In addition, weak demand at the 30-year bond auction added to the yields' upward movement, continuing a trend that began amid similarly weak selling of 10-year notes the previous day.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 2.1 basis points to 3.988%, up from 3.967% at the close of trading on Wednesday. The yield on the 30-year note also rose, adding 1.6 basis points to 4.2775%, up from 4.261% the previous day. Meanwhile, the yield on the 2-year note, which often reflects expectations for future interest rates, rose 2.9 basis points to 4.0297%, up from 4.001% the previous day.
Energy markets also saw gains. U.S. crude oil rose 1.28%, or 96 cents, to $76.19 a barrel. European benchmark Brent crude settled at $79.16 a barrel, up 1.06% from the previous day.
In the precious metals market, gold prices also continued to rise. Spot gold prices rose 1.78% to $2,423.87 an ounce. U.S. gold futures also showed positive dynamics, rising 1.25% to $2,420.50 an ounce.
Rising Treasury yields and stronger oil and gold positions indicate continued optimism in the markets despite some economic concerns. Investors continue to seek assets that can protect them from potential volatility, and current economic data only strengthens their confidence in the resilience of the U.S. economy.
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