U.S. Stocks Surpass Global Trends Amid Mixed Economic Signals

U.S. stocks closed higher, contrasting global markets, driven by economic sectors and positive earnings, particularly in banking. Concerns linger due to weak projections from ASML, impacting tech stocks. Meanwhile, oil prices decreased amid demand worries, and the dollar peaked on anticipated Federal Reserve decisions.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks demonstrated resilience, closing higher in contrast to global counterparts. Strong performances in economically sensitive sectors powered significant gains in the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones, the latter marking its third record high in four days.

While large banks reported impressive earnings, boosting shares like United Airlines by 6.5%, the tech sector faced setbacks due to ASML's lackluster 2025 sales forecast, raising broader tech concerns. Despite these, the Dow rose 337.28 points to 43,077.70, as investors remained cautiously optimistic.

As European stocks dipped over ASML's results and ECB policy anxieties, U.S. Treasury yields eased, reflecting expectations for a modest Federal Reserve rate cut. The dollar reached a 10-week high, while softening oil and rising gold prices highlighted market volatility.

(With inputs from agencies.)