US Stock Market Today: Why the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Are Hitting Fresh Highs
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite notched new highs on Friday, carrying forward Wall Street’s April comeback. Apple and software names did the heavy lifting, more than offsetting a slight dip in the Dow. According to Reuters market data, the S&P 500 climbed 0.48% to 7,243.34, the Nasdaq jumped 0.96% to 25,131.26, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.11% to 49,599.01. It’s a pivotal moment: investors are essentially betting that corporate profits will keep propping up the market, even as oil prices climb, tariffs loom, and interest rates turn less favorable. Analysts are now projecting S&P 500 earnings for the first quarter to jump 27.8% from a year ago — that’s the fastest growth since Q4 of 2021, according to LSEG IBES data.