U.S. indices returned to growth thanks to a rally by chipmakers and banks

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday thanks to a rally among chipmakers and in the banking sector. Indices returned to growth after two sessions of decline, writes CNBC. Additional support for the market was provided by the decline in oil prices: Mark Brent and WTI fell in price by more than 4%. In addition, economic data showed the stability of the labor market.

- The broad market index S&P 500 added 0.2% on January 15 after declining for two trading sessions. During the day, the index rose by 0.76%, but by the close the growth slowed down.

- The Nasdaq Composite Technology Sector Index also rose 0.2%, recovering after pressure on Nvidia shares earlier in the week. The chipmaker's shares added 2% amid overall semiconductor gains following strong reporting and outlook from contract chipmaker TSMC.

- The Dow Jones Industrial Average index of blue chips rose by 0.5%. At the moment the growth exceeded 430 points, but at the end of the session decreased. The index was supported by Goldman Sachs securities, which rose by 4%.

- The Russell 2000 index of small-capitalization companies jumped 0.9% to an all-time high of 2,674 points. It outperformed the S&P 500 for the tenth session in a row, the longest such streak since 1990, Bloomberg notes .

- Brent crude futures fell 4% to $63.8 per barrel, while WTI crude contracts lost 4.4%, falling below $60.

Semiconductor stocks led trading on Thursday after the world's largest contract AI chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor reported a new record quarter and said it will increase capex to $52-56 billion in 2026. Investors saw this as a sign of confidence in the continued growth of AI infrastructure, CNBC explains. The company's stock jumped more than 6 percent in New York, breaking a record and dispersing shares of other semiconductor companies. Nvidia's stock rose 2.1%, while it was under pressure earlier this week due to Reuters' information about China's ban on imports of H200 chips. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) added 2% on Jan. 15.

Growth was also demonstrated by the shares of major U.S. banks on the background of quarterly reporting. Quotes Goldman Sachs jumped by 4% due to profit above forecasts. Morgan Stanley rose by almost 6% after strong results of the capital management division. Both securities reached new annual highs.

Initial jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 10 totaled 198,000, while analysts polled by Dow Jones expected 215,000. This suggests a resilient labor market, CNBC wrote.

The news is supplemented.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor