US Markets

Dow surges more than 200 points, Facebook and AMD jump after crushing earnings

Key Points
  • Facebook shares surged 9.1 percent after the company posted better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the first quarter.
  • Advanced Micro Devices also posted earnings that topped expectations, sending its stock up about 14 percent.
  • The strong quarterly numbers also lifted the S&P 500 and Nasdaq by 1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.
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Stocks rose sharply on Thursday, helped by strong quarterly results from some of the biggest U.S. companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed 238.51 points higher at 24,322.34, with Visa as the best-performing stock in the index. The gained 1.1 percent to close at 2,666.94 as tech rose 2.3 percent. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.6 percent to 7,118.68.

Facebook shares surged 9.1 percent after the company posted better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the first quarter. The company's number of daily active users pointed to steady engagement in the platform despite backlash from the Cambridge Analytica debacle.

Advanced Micro Devices also posted earnings that topped expectations, sending its stock up about 14 percent.

Chipotle, meanwhile, soared 24.4 percent after reporting a stronger-than-expected profit, boosted same-store sales that easily topped expectations.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., on Monday, April 23, 2018.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"There are two things driving the market: Earnings and the news flow out of Washington," said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. He noted that earnings may be currently overshadowing the news out of DC.

"The earnings reports have been good thus far," Frederick said. "I see no reason why that wouldn't continue."

Of the S&P 500 companies that have reported thus far, 80 percent have reported better-than-expected earnings, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Amazon rallied 4 percent ahead of their earnings release Thursday after the close.

Stocks also got a boost as interest rates slipped from multiyear highs. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell from a more than four-year high to below 3 percent after the European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged and reaffirmed its stimulative monetary policy stance.

ECB President Mario Draghi said "underlying strength" in the euro zone's economy continued to underpin the bank's confidence despite signs of "moderation" in recent weeks.

He added an "ample degree of monetary stimulus" remained necessary over the coming months.

In economic news, U.S. durable goods orders rose 2.6 percent in March, far more than the expected 1.6 percent gain. Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims totaled 209,000 last week, below a forecast of 230,000.

Investors are also awaiting data on first-quarter GDP, which is set for release Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET.

"We think there's solid economic growth, but we're considerably below consensus," said Randy Anderson, chief economist at Griffin Capital. "The surge in market volatility has led to lower consumer confidence and the economy is near full employment. It's hard to grow GDP when you're basically at full employment."

—CNBC's Sam Meredith contributed to this report.

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