4:12pm: Eyes on Amazon
US stocks finished the day mixed as investor attention turned to more earnings after the closing bell, led by eCommerce giant Amazon.
The Dow Jones slipped 0.3% to 44,747 points while the Nasdaq added 0.5% at 19,791 points and the S&P 500 added 0.4% at 6,083 points.
2:30pm: Amazon 4Q ahead
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) should deliver a slight earnings beat driven when it hands down its fourth-quarter report after Thursday's closing bell, analysts at Jefferies believe.
Wall Street analysts, on average, expect the eCommerce giant to deliver earnings per share of $1.48 on revenue of $187.23 billion.
For AWS, they noted higher spending intentions in 2025, the expected migration of more workloads to its cloud business in the next two years, and improved AI capabilities driving momentum in this segment.
Analysts expect continued improvement in operating margins in Q4 and fiscal 2025.
1:45pm: Wall Street rally slows
“US stocks have run into some turbulence after their rebound from Monday’s lows, weighed down by some gloomier earnings and the impending payrolls report," IG's Chris Beauchamp noted Thursday afternoon.
"Investors have been able to put tariff worries aside after Monday’s rout, but they are sure to rear their head again, and the damage to stocks next time might be more long-lasting.”
12:10pm: Markets tread cautiously
Stock markets are mixed at the midday point of trading Thursday.
The Dow is down 0.3%, retreating from its previous gains. The S&P 500 is up 0.1%, continuing its positive momentum from recent sessions, and the Nasdaq is also up 0.1%, maintaining its upward trend.
Investors are digesting the Bank of England's recent rate cut, which has caused the British pound to sink. Stateside, lower Treasury yields are helping to offset concerns about tariffs and tech sector performance.
10:55am: Arm's gains, AMD's concerns drive mixed market sentiment
The market is hopeful that strong earnings will help companies navigate potential challenges, including a possible trade war escalation and tightening monetary policy, siad Samer Hasn, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com.
Notably, Arm Holdings saw positive quarterly results but experienced after-hours selling due to profit-taking, while AMD's better-than-expected results were overshadowed by concerns about its data center business and competition.
"(T)he results of both companies indicate the strength of demand in the AI market until the end of the fourth quarter of last year, and this is a very important part that the markets need to follow the upward trend, especially amid the concerns that prevailed about the future of demand after the shock caused by the low-cost AI product from China’s DeepSeek," Hasn commented.
"What the market also needs are signs about the strength of the US economy in light of the monetary tightening that is expected to remain in place through the first half of this year."
9.57am: Wall Street just in the green
Wall Street enjoyed a positive but albeit calm start to Thursday’s session as fears around tariffs under Donald Trump appeared to dissipate for the time being.
Following the opening bell, the Nasdaq and S&P were both up by 0.3%, while the Dow Jones ticked up 0.1%.
This meant the trio had comfortably recovered after a beating early on in the week after Trump confirmed tariffs for the US’ neighbours, which were subsequently pushed back, and China.
Among companies, Ralph Lauren Corp stood out among the risers, surging 15.9% on news of expectation-beating third-quarter figures and hiked expectations.
Stronger-than-anticipated results also saw another fashion firm, Tapestry Inc, soar 16.7% early on.
Skyworks Solutions PLC faced a battering in the meantime, dropping 25.5% after the supplier to Apple Inc laid out underwhelming expectations, including for its mobile wing.
7.37am: Muted start expected
Wall Street looked in line for a muted start on Thursday as calm continued to seep back into the market after Donald Trump’s tariff talk had dominated the week so far.
Futures showed the Nasdaq off 0.2% ahead of the bell, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones were seen just above the mark.
Tickmill Group partner Patrick Munnelly noted the relative stability, which stretched to bonds, marked a contrast to the market “meltdown” on news of sweeping US tariffs.
Trump had firmed these up for Canadian, Mexican and Chinese goods over the weekend, before reaching deals with the US’ neighbours for a one-month pause on the measures.
China responded with retaliatory measures in the meantime, with Munnelly noting “inconsistent policy [had] dampened investor enthusiasm”.
The 10% levies on China were lower than previously threatened though, Trade Nation’s David Morrison flagged.
“There are hopes that it will get rolled back before retaliatory tariffs from China kick in next week. Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to hold talks in the next few days.”