By David French
(Reuters) -The S&P 500 stock index and the Nasdaq Composite both finished at record highs on Thursday, as investors embraced strong economic data and earnings reports that showed American consumers remained willing to spend.
The Nasdaq has ended at a record high in six of the previous seven sessions, and the S&P 500 has had six best finishes since June 27.
The Nasdaq Composite gained 153.78 points, or 0.74%, to 20,884.27, and the S&P 500 increased 33.66 points, or 0.54%, to 6,297.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also ended up, rising 229.71 points, or 0.52%, to 44,484.49.
Wall Street has had a strong run since tumbling after President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariff announcements in early April and then recovering. This week was seen as a proving ground for these gains though, with a number of key economic reports and the start of second-quarter earnings season.
Economic data and corporate earnings reports “are showing that the economic backdrop is still pretty solid, and so markets have been able to grind higher this week with some data to support where we are going,” said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial.
U.S. retail sales bounced back sharply in June, data showed on Thursday. Investors saw renewed economic momentum and confidence among consumers, after mixed inflation data which showed stalled producer prices and a spike in consumer inflation in the same month.
Investors have been watching for signs of whether Trump’s tariff policies are starting to permeate the U.S. economy. The Federal Reserve has indicated it will hold off on interest rate cuts until it can see the inflationary impact of higher import taxes.
This was reiterated on Thursday by Fed Governor Adriana Kugler, who said rate cuts are on hold for now, as Trump’s tariffs begin to push up consumer prices.
Traders now peg the odds of a September rate cut at around 54%, with a July move nearly ruled out, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.
Accompanying strong retail sales was upbeat commentary from consumer-facing American companies.
PepsiCo jumped 7.5% after forecasting upbeat results, fueled by demand for energy drinks and healthier sodas, helping offset concerns about a dip in annual core profit.
United Airlines gained 3.1% after the carrier projected stronger demand since early July, offering a rare bright spot for an industry strained by Trump’s budget cuts and trade tensions.
Rivals Delta and American Airlines also climbed more than 1.4%.
Technology stocks were also buoyed, in particular U.S. chipmakers, after TSMC, the world’s main producer of advanced AI chips, posted a record quarterly profit, saying demand for artificial intelligence was getting stronger.
