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The S&P 500 continued its streak rose to another record high on Thursday amid a strong rally in major technology stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrials recovered 57.31 points to 33,503.57.
The broader index gained 17.22 points, to 4,097.17, for yet another new all-time record.
The NASDAQ Composite roared back into positive territory 140.47 points, or 1%, to 13,829.31,
Investors processed a worse-than-expected reading on the latest weekly jobless claims. A total of 744,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time during the week ended April 3, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected first-time claims to total 694,000.
President Joe Biden spoke on Wednesday from Washington about his administration’s $2-trillion infrastructure plan that includes a corporate tax rate hike to 28% and noted that he is willing to negotiate on the proposed tax increase.
The proposed increase to the corporate tax is thought to be a key source of tax revenue for the White House infrastructure plan and is a non-starter for Republicans, who say they are concerned about tax increases as the U.S. economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fiscal support is considered a key driver of the past month’s equity records and strong economic data, including a stronger-than-expected March jobs report. The S&P 500, Dow industrials and NASDAQ are all coming off their fourth straight quarter of gains as the economic recovery from COVID-19 accelerates.
Federal Reverse Chairman Jerome Powell signaled on Thursday that the economic rebound from the pandemic still has room to go as the recovery thus far hasn’t been well-rounded.
Powell also repeated that inflation is not expected to be serious even though near-term price pressures are likely.
The Fed’s latest meeting minutes, released Wednesday, showed that officials plan to keep the pace of asset purchases the same for some time as the central bank works to support stable prices and maximum employment.
Prices for 10-Year Treasurys gained sharply, dropping yields to 1.62%, from Wednesday’s 1.67%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices eked up two cents to $59.79 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices recovered $14.90 to $1,756.50 U.S. an ounce.
