U.S. Stocks Rally as S&P 500 Closes at Record High

On Thursday, January 23rd, major U.S. equity indexes surged as investors digested corporate earnings and statements from the new presidential administration.

Key Takeaways:

- S&P 500 up 0.5% to reach an all-time closing high.
- Moderna extends gains after AI endorsement for cancer vaccines.
- Electronic Arts shares plunge on lowered bookings guidance.

Market Movers:

- S&P 500 (SPX): Gained 0.5%, boosted by favorable earnings reports and President Trump's call for lower oil prices and interest rates.
- Moderna (MRNA): Jumped 10.1%, extending gains after Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison touted AI's potential in cancer vaccine development.
- GE Aerospace (GE): Soared 6.6% on strong Q4 results and positive guidance for 2025.
- Union Pacific (UNP): Rose 5.2% after beating earnings expectations with strong freight performance.
- Electronic Arts (EA): Dropped 16.7% after lowering net bookings guidance due to underperforming games, particularly in its soccer franchise.

Other Notable Movements:

- Leidos Holdings (LDOS): Declined 7.6% despite securing a TSA contract, possibly due to concerns about government spending cuts.
- Micron Technology (MU): Slipped 4.0% after memory chip rival SK Hynix expressed cautious demand outlook for 2025.

In Conclusion:

The U.S. stock market closed higher on Thursday, with the S&P 500 setting a new closing high. Moderna and GE Aerospace led the gains, while Electronic Arts suffered the biggest loss in the index.