Major US stock indices opened higher on Thursday, November 20, after a series of declines since the start of the week. Nvidia’s results eased pressure on the technology and artificial intelligence sector, which had been a major driver of recent market losses, in addition to reduced market expectations for an interest rate cut in December.
All sectors of the S&P 500 are trading higher today, with technology up 2.24%, healthcare 0.59%, energy 0.68%, telecommunications 1.17%, utilities 1.13%, materials 0.89%, financials 1.40%, consumer goods 1.39%, and industrials 1.46%.
American companies and institutions continue to announce their third-quarter results, which are nearing completion. Chipmaker Nvidia, a major player on Wall Street, announced results that exceeded expectations for the second quarter, reporting revenues of $57 billion, compared to market estimates of $54.92 billion. This was driven by a 66.44% increase in data center revenue to $51.21 billion. The company also announced that it expects revenues of $65 billion in the final quarter of this year, and its stock rose 3.80% at the start of trading today.
Meanwhile, Walmart reported revenues of $179.5 billion in the third quarter, surpassing market expectations. This was fueled by a 27% increase in e-commerce sales. The company raised its full-year sales growth forecast to between 4.8% and 5.1%, and its stock rose 4% today.
On the economic data front, the report released moments ago by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the US economy added 119,000 jobs in the delayed September figure, compared to 22,000 jobs added in August. The unemployment rate rose slightly in September to 4.4%, while the average hourly wage fell by 0.2% month-over-month and rose year-over-year to 3.8%, compared to 3.7% in August.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is trading up approximately 619 points at 45,757, a gain of about 1.34%. The S&P 500 is up 24 points at 6,642, a rise of about 0.38%, while the Nasdaq Composite is up 486 points at 23,050, a gain of about 2.16%.