Stocks were mixed Thursday, with the S&P 500 posting its first day positive so far this week, as a strong earnings report from Tesla helped uplift the broader market. The broader market index climbed over 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 140 points and the Nasdaq Composite advanced nearly 0.8%.
Here's how the market settled on Thursday:
S&P 500 Index (NYSE: SPY): +0.21% or +12.44 points to 5,809.86
Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA): -0.33% or -140.59 points to 42,374.36
Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: QQQ): +0.76% or +138.83 points to 18,415.49
On the Earnings Front:
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported strong third-quarter earnings late Wednesday, with CEO Elon Musk telling analysts during its earnings call that his "best guess" is that vehicle growth would reach between 20% and 30% next year. Moreover, the company said in its earnings deck that "despite ongoing macroeconomic conditions, we expect to achieve slight growth in vehicle deliveries in 2024."
IBM (NYSE: IBM) shares were under pressure on Thursday after the technology company reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings. For its fourth quarter, IBM expects revenue growth at constant currency that is in-line with its third quarter; revenue grew at 2% in Q3. The company also reiterated its more than $12 billion free cash flow target for full-year 2024.
UPS (NYSE: UPS) reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings ahead of the 2024 holiday season on Thursday, benefitting from its cost-cutting efforts and increased volumes. The company, however, lowers its full-year revenue outlook to about $91.1 billion from $93 billion previously. UPS also said it expects its five-year contract with USPS to be profitable in its first year.
"After a challenging 18-month period, our company returned to revenue and profit growth," CEO Carol Tomé said in a statement. "Peak season is nearly upon us, and we are ready to deliver another successful holiday season and continue the progress we demonstrated in the third quarter."
In Economic News:
Jobless Claims declined for the week ended Oct. 19, the Labor Department reported Thursday, as recent impacts from hurricanes and the Boeing (NYSE: BA) strike eased. First-time unemployment claims totaled 227,000 in the latest reading, down 15,000 from the prior week's upwardly revised level and well below estimates. Continuing claims, which are tracked a week behind, rose to about 1.9 million, its highest level since mid-November 2021.
New Home Sales rose 4.1% month-to-month in September, the Census Bureau reported Thursday, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 738,000 (up 6.3% annually). The median sales price also rose to $426,300, while the average sales price was $501,000.
In the News:
Boeing machinists have voted against a new labor deal, their union announced late Wednesday, extending the strike that has impacted much of the company's production. The contract, which included 35% wage increase over four years, was rejected by 64% of voters. The strike is costing the aerospace manufacturer about $1 billion a month, according to S&P Global Ratings.
"The rejection raises the risk of a protracted strike if the obstacle is reinstatement of a pension," said Ben Tsocanos, aerospace director at S&P Global Ratings, in a statement.
For Friday:
Market participants will turn their attention towards earnings reports from companies including Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) and L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) on Friday, alongside economic data including October's final consumer sentiment reading.