Stocks rise after latest raft of economic data and earnings: Live updates
Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on July 15, 2025.
NYSE
Stocks rose on Thursday, buoyed by fresh economic data reports along with a slew of corporate earnings releases.
The S&P 500 added 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 71 points, or 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.4%.
PepsiCo shares jumped more than 5% on the back of better-than-expected earnings. United Airlines gained 6% after the airline beat earnings estimates.
Quarterly earnings reports released this week have exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, fueling investor confidence. Around 50 S&P 500 components have reported thus far, with 88% of those exceeding analysts’ expectations, FactSet data shows.
Key data releases on Thursday reflected strength in the U.S. economy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 12 came out at 221,000, marking a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week.
Separately, retail sales in June rose more than expected, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Retail sales were up 0.6% from May, beating the 0.2% estimate from the Dow Jones consensus.
“A reassuring retail sales result comes at the perfect time as earnings season kicks into gear,” said Bret Kenwell, eToro U.S. investment analyst. “If earnings are more upbeat than expected and if management continues to tell a reassuring story about consumer spending, stocks could react favorably — even after a rally to record highs that some investors may view as overextended. At the end of the day, consumers are the backbone of the U.S. economy.”
Wall Street is coming off a volatile trading session after President Donald Trump denied that he was planning to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell from his position as Fed chief.
Stocks ended the day higher, but dropped sharply at one point Wednesday after a White House official said that Trump “likely will soon” fire Powell from his post, with the blue-chip Dow dropping more than 260 points at its session low. However, equities rebounded after Trump later downplayed the reports and said he was “not planning on doing it,” although he added that he does not “rule out anything.”
This week, the S&P 500 is trading higher by 0.3%. The 30-stock Dow is up 0.2%, while the Nasdaq has jumped 0.9%.
