Stocks concluded higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing out the session at record levels.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rose about 0.5 %, even though the Dow concluded just a tick above the flatline. U.S. stocks shook off earlier declines after tracking a drop in overseas equities, after new data showed that UK gross domestic product (GDP) slumped by a report 9.9 % in 2020 as a virus induced recession swept the nation.

Shares of Dow component Disney (DIS) reversed earlier profits to fall more than 1 % and pull back from a record extremely high, after the company posted a surprise quarterly profit and cultivated Disney+ streaming prospects more than expected. Newly public business Bumble (BMBL), which began trading on the Nasdaq on Thursday, rose another 7 % after jumping sixty three % in its public debut.

Over the older couple weeks, investors have absorbed a bevy of much stronger than expected earnings benefits, with company earnings rebounding much faster than expected inspite of the ongoing pandemic. With more than 80 % of businesses right now having claimed fourth-quarter results, S&P 500 earnings per share (EPS) have topped estimates by 17 % for aggregate, and bounced back above pre COVID levels, according to an analysis by Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Golub.

“Prompt and generous government activity mitigated the [virus related] damage, leading to outsized economic and earnings surprises,” Golub said. “The earnings recovery has been considerably more effective than we may have dreamed when the pandemic first took hold.”

Stocks have continued to set new record highs against this backdrop, and as fiscal and monetary policy support stay strong. But as investors become accustomed to firming corporate performance, businesses might need to top greater expectations to be rewarded. This can in turn put some pressure on the broader market in the near-term, and also warrant much more astute assessments of specific stocks, in accordance with some strategists.

“It is actually no secret that S&P 500 performance has long been very formidable over the past few calendar years, driven largely through valuation expansion. Nevertheless, with the index P/E [price-to-earnings ratio] recently eclipsing its prior dot-com high, we think that valuation multiples will start to compress in the coming months,” BMO Capital Markets strategist Brian Belski wrote in a note Thursday. “According to our work, strong EPS growth is going to be necessary for the following leg greater. Fortunately, that’s exactly what current expectations are forecasting. Nevertheless, we additionally found that these types of’ EPS-driven’ periods tend to be more complicated from an investment strategy standpoint.”

“We think that the’ easy cash days’ are over for the time being and investors will need to tighten up their aim by evaluating the merits of specific stocks, as opposed to chasing the momentum laden practices which have just recently dominated the investment landscape,” he added.

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4:00 p.m. ET: Stocks end higher, S&P 500 and Nasdaq reach history closing highs
Here’s where the major stock indexes finished the session:

S&P 500 (GSPC): +18.55 points (+0.47 %) to 3,934.93

Dow (DJI): +27.44 points (+0.09 %) to 31,458.14

Nasdaq (IXIC): +69.70 points (+0.5 %) to 14,095.47

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2:58 p.m. ET:’ Climate change’ would be the most-cited Biden policy on corporate earnings calls: FactSet
Fourth-quarter earnings season represents the pioneer with President Joe Biden in the White House, bringing an innovative political backdrop for corporations to contemplate.

Biden’s policies around climate change as well as environmental protections have been the most cited political issues brought up on company earnings calls up to this point, in accordance with an analysis from FactSet’s John Butters.

“In terms of government policies mentioned in conjunction with the Biden administration, climate change as well as energy policy (twenty eight), tax policy (20 ) and COVID-19 policy (nineteen) have been cited or maybe discussed by the highest number of businesses through this point in time in 2021,” Butters wrote. “Of these twenty eight companies, 17 expressed support (or perhaps a willingness to work with) the Biden administration on policies to greatly reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. These seventeen firms possibly discussed initiatives to minimize their very own carbon and greenhouse gas emissions or services or goods they provide to assist customers and customers reduce their carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.”

“However, four businesses also expressed a number of concerns about the executive order setting up a moratorium on new engine oil and gas leases on federal lands (and offshore),” he added.

The list of twenty eight companies discussing climate change as well as energy policy encompassed businesses from a diverse array of industries, including JPMorgan Chase, United Airlines Holdings and 3M, alongside traditional oil majors like Chevron.

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11:36 a.m. ET: Stocks combined, S&P 500 and Nasdaq turn positive
Here’s in which marketplaces were trading Friday intraday:

S&P 500 (GSPC): +7.87 points (+0.2 %) to 3,924.25

Dow (DJI): -8.77 points (0.03 %) to 31,421.93

Nasdaq (IXIC): +28.15 points (+0.21 %) to 14,053.77

Crude (CL=F): +$0.65 (+1.12 %) to $58.89 a barrel

Gold (GC=F): +$0.20 (+0.01 %) to $1,827.00 per ounce

10-year Treasury (TNX): +2.7 bps to deliver 1.185%

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10:15 a.m. ET: Consumer sentiment suddenly plunges to a six-month lower in February: U. Michigan
U.S. consumer sentiment slid to the lowest level since August in February, in accordance with the Faculty of Michigan’s preliminary once a month survey, as Americans’ assessments of the path ahead for the virus-stricken economy unexpectedly grew more grim.

The title consumer sentiment index dipped to 76.2 from 79.0 in January, sharply missing expectations for an increase to 80.9, as reported by Bloomberg consensus data.

The entire loss in February was “concentrated in the Expectation Index and involving households with incomes under $75,000. Households with incomes of the bottom third reported significant setbacks in their current finances, with fewer of these households mentioning recent income gains than whenever since 2014,” Richard Curtin chief economist for the university’s Surveys of Consumers, said in a statement.

“Presumably a brand new round of stimulus payments will bring down fiscal hardships with those with probably the lowest incomes. A lot more shocking was the finding that customers, despite the expected passage of a large stimulus bill, viewed prospects for the national economy less favorably in early February than more month,” he added.

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9:30 a.m. ET: Stocks open lower, but pace toward posting weekly gains
Here’s where markets had been trading simply after the opening bell:

S&P 500 (GSPC): -8.31 points (0.21 %) to 3,908.07

Dow (DJI): 19.64 (-0.06 %) to 31,411.06

Nasdaq (IXIC): -53.51 (+0.41 %) to 13,970.45

Crude (CL=F): -1dolar1 0.23 (0.39 %) to $58.01 a barrel

Gold (GC=F): -1dolar1 10.70 (-0.59 %) to $1,816.10 per ounce

10-year Treasury (TNX): +3.2 bps to yield 1.19%

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9:05 a.m. ET: Equity funds see highest weekly inflows ever as investors pile into tech stocks: Bank of America
Stock funds simply saw the largest-ever week of theirs of inflows for the period ended February ten, with inflows totaling a record $58.1 billion, based on Bank of America. Investors pulled a total of $800 million out of gold and $10.6 billion out of cash during the week, the firm added.

Tech stocks in turn saw the own record week of theirs of inflows during $5.4 billion. U.S. large cap stocks saw the second-largest week of theirs of inflows ever at $25.1 billion, and U.S. smaller cap inflows saw the third-largest week of theirs at $5.6 billion.

Bank of America warned that frothiness is actually rising in markets, nevertheless, as investors keep on piling into stocks amid low interest rates, as well as hopes of a solid recovery for the economy and corporate profits. The firm’s proprietary “Bull as well as Bear Indicator” tracking market sentiment rose to 7.7 from 7.5, nearing an 8.0 “sell” signal.

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7:14 a.m. ET Friday: Stock futures point to a lower open
Below were the principle moves in markets, as of 7:16 a.m. ET Friday:

S&P 500 futures (ES=F): 3,904.00, down 8.00 points or even 0.2%

Dow futures (YM=F): 31,305.00, down 54 points or perhaps 0.17%

Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): 13,711.25, printed 17.75 points or 0.13%

Crude (CL=F): -1dolar1 0.43 (-0.74 %) to $57.81 a barrel

Gold (GC=F): 1dolar1 9.50 (-0.52 %) to $1,817.30 per ounce

10-year Treasury (TNX): +0.5 bps to yield 1.163%

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6:03 p.m. ET Thursday: Stock futures tick higher
Here is where marketplaces were trading Thursday as over night trading kicked off:

S&P 500 futures (ES=F): 3,904.50, printed 7.5 points or 0.19%

Dow futures (YM=F): 31,327.00, down 32 points or perhaps 0.1%

Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): 13,703.5, down 25.5 points or even 0.19%