US markets end higher on Thursday

16 Jan 2026 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Thursday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 climbing back toward their recent record highs, after previous session’s choppiness. The rebound on Wall Street partly reflects a positive reaction to earnings news from Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) after reporting a sharp increase in fourth quarter profits. Traders took support with Labor Department’s report revealed that first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly dipped in the week ended January 10. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell to 198,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level of 207,000. Street had expected jobless claims to rise to 215,000 from the 208,000 originally reported for the previous week.

On the sectoral front, Airline stocks showed a significant move to the upside on the day, with the NYSE Arca Airline Index surging by 2.6 percent. Notable strength also remained visible among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 1.8 percent gain posted by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 292.81 points or 0.6 percent to 49,442.44, Nasdaq increased 58.27 points or 0.25 percent to 23,530.022 and S&P 500 edged up 17.87 points or 0.26 percent to 6,944.47.

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