NEW YORK: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq registered record closing highs for a fourth session in a row on Thursday as technology shares extended their recent rally.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased last week and another report showed producer prices unexpectedly fell in May, helping to keep alive hopes that an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve may be on the horizon.
The Fed on Wednesday projected only one rate cut this year, while its outlook in March included three quarter-percentage-point reductions.
The S&P 500 technology sector jumped 1.4 per cent and an index of semiconductors rose 1.5 per cent, both reaching all-time closing highs.
Shares of Broadcom jumped 12.3 per cent after the chipmaker raised its forecast for revenue from semiconductors used in artificial intelligence technology. It also announced a 10-for-1 forward stock split.
Shares of Nvidia rallied 3.5 per cent, and Apple ended up 0.5 per cent.
"It's still very much a tech story" in stocks, said Paul Nolte, senior wealth advisor and market strategist for Murphy & Sylvest in Elmhurst, Illinois. "When you look at the broader market, you're not seeing the participation you would like to see from a healthier market."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 65.11 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 38,647.1, the S&P 500 gained 12.71 points, or 0.23 per cent, at 5,433.74 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 59.12 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 17,667.56.
After the closing bell, shares of Adobe jumped more than 14 per cent after the Photoshop maker beat Wall Street expectations for second-quarter revenue. The stock ended the regular session down 0.2 per cent.
On Wednesday, new data showed a gauge of consumer prices was unchanged in May for the first time in almost two years.
Some investors are wondering whether the economy may be slowing too quickly.
The economically sensitive industrials sector fell 0.6 per cent and the small-cap Russell 2000 index dropped 0.9 per cent.
Tesla shares gained 2.9 per cent. Tesla
shareholders
were set to approve Elon Musk's US$56 billion pay package.
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 10.14 billion shares, compared with the 12.49 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a 1.58-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.91-to-1 ratio favored decliners.
The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and 10 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 53 new highs and 129 new lows.
