US markets end sharply higher on Thursday

28 Apr 2023 Evaluate

The US markets ended sharply higher on Thursday with Nasdaq settling around two and half percent higher as strong results from Meta Platforms boosted tech-related names. Shares of Meta spiked by 13.9 percent after the company reported better than expected first quarter results and provided upbeat guidance for the current quarter. Media conglomerate Comcast (CMCSA) also moved sharply higher after reporting first quarter earnings that exceeded street estimates. Big-name companies like eBay (EBAY), Honeywell (HON) and Eli Lilly (LLY) also posted strong gains after reporting their quarterly results. On the sectoral front, Housing stocks turned in some of the market's best performances on the day, driving the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index up by 3.1 percent to its best closing level in well over two months.

On the economic data front, first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly declined in the week ended April 22nd, according to a report released by the Labor Department. The report said initial jobless claims dipped to 230,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised level of 246,000. Street had expected jobless claims to inch up to 248,000 from the 245,000 originally reported for the previous week. Besides, preliminary data released by the Commerce Department showed U.S. economic growth slowed by much more than expected in the first three months of 2023. The report said real gross domestic product increased by 1.1 percent in the first quarter after jumping by 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022. Street had expected the pace of GDP growth to slow to 2.0 percent.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 524.29 points or 1.57 percent to 33,826.16, Nasdaq surged 287.89 points or 2.43 percent to 12,142.24 and S&P 500 was up by 79.36 points or 1.96 percent to 4,135.35.

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×