(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks advanced to new highs after weekly applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly declined and investors assessed earnings from Coca-Cola and Kellogg to Twitter.
Bloomberg News
The S&P 500 Index rose 0.6% to 2,307.87 at 4 p.m., while the Dow gained 118 points to 20,172. The Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 both closed at records.
- Energy shares up 0.9% for first advance in four sessions as oil climbed 1.4% for second day of gains.
- Financial stocks higher for first gain this week, adding 1.4% with all 17 companies in S&P 500 Banks index rallying; Regions Financial and Citizens Financial leading pack, up at least 2.5%.
- Utility and raw-materials shares only groups down as the 10-year Treasury yield added 6 bp to 2.40% from 2.34%.
- VIX down 4.8% to 10.9.
- Jobless claims fell 12,000 to 234,000 in the week ended Feb. 4, a report from the Labor Department showed Thursday; median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 249,000.
- Tech volume 9% higher than the 30-day average in early trading as a rally in Micron offset losses in Facebook and Microchip Technology.
- With more than half of S&P 500 companies having posted earnings this season, about three-quarters beat profit estimates and roughly half beat sales forecasts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg
- Equity markets advanced across the board in Europe as positive momentum from earnings filtered through stocks after Societe Generale SA beat estimates and French and Italian debt strengthened amid ebbing political risk
