Markets

S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 close at records on solid earnings and strong economic data

Better-than-expected retail sales for June and robust Q2 earnings propelled major indexes to record closing highs on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.7%, and the Russell 2000 led the way with a 1.2% advance.

The day’s gains were led in part by Albemarle, which jumped 7.6% after Chinese mining giant Zangge ordered a surprise halt on lithium production. Elevance was the biggest decliner after slashing its full-year profit outlook. 

Pepsi was also a top performer after the snacks and beverage giant topped Q2 earnings even as overall name brand demand cools. Sticking with soda…

Coca-Cola rose 2% while Archer-Daniels-Midland dipped after President Donald Trump touted his alleged progress in getting Coke to use cane sugar.

Taiwan Semiconductor shares rose more than 3% after the world’s leading chip supplier topped profit expectations for the second quarter and raised its full-year sales outlook.

Shares of railroad giants CSX and Norfolk Southern rose nearly 4% after a report said Union Pacific is working with Morgan Stanley to explore a potential acquisition. Union Pacific fell almost 2%.

Lucid shares soared 36% after Uber said it would make “multi-hundred-million dollar investments” in the EV maker as well as autonomous driving company Nuro.

Steve Madden jumped more than 6% after Citi upgraded shares of the struggling Y2K footwear brand to “buy” and raised its price target to $32 as fashion trends swing back in its favor.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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