- Sri Lanka seeks to match success in W.Indies T20s
- Sinner reaches Shanghai final, will end year number one
- China-EU EV tariff talks in Brussels end with 'major differences': Beijing
- Sabalenka downs Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
- Israel warns south Lebanon residents to 'not return'
- Sinner tames Machac to reach Shanghai Masters final
- Buried Nazi past haunts Athens on liberation anniversary
- Harris to release medical report confirming fitness for presidency: campaign
- Nobel prize a timely reminder, Hiroshima locals say
- Hezbollah fires at Israel as wars rage on Yom Kippur
- Analysts warn more detail needed on new China economic measures
- China tees up fresh spending to boost ailing economy
- China says will issue special bonds to boost ailing economy
- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Dodgers drop Padres 2-0 to advance in MLB playoffs
- Alexei Navalny wrote he knew he would die in prison in new memoir
- Last-minute legal ruling allows betting on US election
- Despite hurricanes, Floridians refuse to leave 'paradise'
- Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
- Trump demonizes migrants in dark, misleading speech
- X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
- US, European markets rise before Boeing unveils sweeping job cuts
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Comoros shock Tunisia, Salah, Mbeumo strike in AFCON qualifiers
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Germany win in Nations League as 10-man Dutch rescue point
- Undav brace sends Germany to victory against Bosnia
- Israel says fired at 'threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- Ecuador's last mountain iceman dies at 80
- Milton leaves at least 16 dead, millions without power in Florida
- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
S&P 500 flirts with 5,000 points while oil prices rally
The S&P 500 flirted with a landmark new peak Thursday, but finished just shy of 5,000 points, while oil prices shot higher on worries about the Middle East.
US indices eked out modest gains following another round of solid earnings from Disney and others.
But while the broad-based S&P 500 actually edged up to 5,000.40 in the final moments of trading, it finished at 4,997.91 -- up 0.1 percent but short of its first ever close above 5,000 points.
Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones said next week's consumer price index report could be the catalyst that lifts the S&P 500 above the 5,000-point threshold.
"It's just a number but it's symbolic of the strength that we have seen in equities given what else is going on," Kourkafas said. "Nothing points to the trend being over."
Still, Briefing.com said in a note that more investors are eyeing a pullback that has yet to occur.
"Everyone is waiting for a break in the action, but clearly there are enough participants who have kept playing the momentum trade and are intent to stay with the trend until it is no longer a friend."
European stock indices were mostly higher, playing catch-up with Wall Street. Paris, Frankfurt and Milan rose, while London was down.
"Sentiment remains positive as investors take encouragement to the fresh record highs being hit across Wall Street on an almost daily basis," said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation.
Among individual companies, Disney rocketed up 11.5 percent as the entertainment giant reported better-than-expected profits, disclosed it is buying a stake in Fortnite maker Epic Games and announced a dividend hike and new share repurchase program.
Shares in French luxury giant Kering rose six percent despite a drop in annual sales and profit as the company refocuses its business around its top brand Gucci.
London's FTSE 100 index was pulled lower by British drugs group AstraZeneca, which slid six percent on concern over its outlook after posting bumper profits last year.
Danish shipping giant Maersk's stock price tanked by 15 percent in Copenhagen after it logged a massive drop in net profit last year and warned that unrest in the Red Sea clouded its 2024 outlook.
Oil prices jumped more than three percent on a mix of Middle East tensions and declining US stocks of gasoline and distillate products. However, analysts said concerns about demand in China could keep a cap on prices.
- Key figures around 2130 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 38,726.33 (close)
New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 4,997.91 (close)
New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.2 percent at 15,793.72 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,595.48 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.7 percent at 7,665.63 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 16,963.83 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.7 percent at 4,710.78 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.1 percent at 36,863.28 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 15,878.07 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.3 percent at 2,865.90 (close)
Dollar/yen: UP at 149.30 yen from 148.18 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0781 from $1.0772
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2620 from $1.2626
Euro/pound: UP at 85.40 pence from 85.31 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 3.1 percent at $81.63 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 3.2 percent at $76.22 per barrel
burs-jmb/st
D.Cunningha--AMWN