U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Thursday, with sector rotations producing a split tape across major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a modest advance, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finished the day in the red.
At the New York Stock Exchange close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.11%. The S&P 500 retreated 0.13% and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.72%.
Notable movers on the Dow
Among Dow components, International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) led gains, finishing the session up 5.13% or 15.08 points to close at 309.24. Honeywell International Inc (NASDAQ:HON) added 4.89% or 10.60 points to end at 227.24, and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) rose 3.41% or 21.96 points to trade at 665.24 in late trade.
On the downside, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) recorded the largest decline on the Dow, falling 9.99% or 48.13 points to close at 433.50. Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) lost 6.09% or 13.88 points to finish at 214.08, and Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) dropped 3.13% or 7.55 points to 234.04.
Top S&P 500 and Nasdaq performers
Within the S&P 500, travel and leisure-related names posted some of the strongest gains. Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE:LUV) jumped 18.70% to 48.50, and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE:RCL) rose 18.52% to settle at 345.60. Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) also contributed to the winners list, gaining 10.40% to close at 738.28.
Conversely, several S&P 500 constituents finished sharply lower. Las Vegas Sands Corp (NYSE:LVS) declined 13.96% to 52.71, United Rentals Inc (NYSE:URI) fell 12.86% to settle at 787.04, and First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) dropped 10.15% to 224.10 at the close.
On the Nasdaq Composite, smaller-cap and micro-cap names produced pronounced percentage swings. Republic Power Group Ltd (NASDAQ:RPGL) surged 173.86% to 0.88, Adlai Nortye Ltd ADR (NASDAQ:ANL) climbed 88.18% to 6.53, and Linkers Industries Ltd (NASDAQ:LNKS) added 71.50% to 1.32.
At the other extreme, Quince Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:QNCX) plunged 91.51% to 0.27, Tian Ruixiang Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TIRX) fell 91.06% to 0.12, and Fractyl Health Inc (NASDAQ:GUTS) declined 68.04% to 0.58.
Market breadth and technical peaks
On the New York Stock Exchange, advancing issues outnumbered decliners by 1,578 to 1,164, with 91 issues unchanged. The Nasdaq saw broader weakness in terms of headline counts, as 1,941 stocks fell while 1,438 advanced and 166 finished unchanged.
Several individual stocks reached notable milestones during the session. Shares of Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE:LUV) rose to three-year highs, advancing 18.70% or 7.64 to 48.50. Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) hit a 52-week low, down 6.09% or 13.88 to 214.08. Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) climbed to an all-time high, up 3.41% or 21.96 to 665.24. Quince Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:QNCX) fell to an all-time low, dropping 91.51% or 2.91 to 0.27. Adlai Nortye Ltd ADR (NASDAQ:ANL) moved to a 52-week high, rising 88.18% or 3.06 to 6.53. Tian Ruixiang Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TIRX) and Fractyl Health Inc (NASDAQ:GUTS) also reached all-time lows, falling to 0.12 and 0.58 respectively, while Linkers Industries Ltd (NASDAQ:LNKS) rose to a 52-week high at 1.32.
The CBOE Volatility Index, a measure of implied volatility for S&P 500 options, increased 3.24% to 16.88.
Commodities and currencies
Commodities trading showed strength in precious metals and energy. Gold futures for April delivery rose 1.79% or 95.71 to $5,435.91 a troy ounce. In oil markets, crude oil for March delivery increased 3.34% or 2.11 to $65.32 a barrel, while the April Brent contract gained 3.12% or 2.10 to trade at $69.47 a barrel.
Currency moves were modest. EUR/USD was essentially unchanged, printed at 1.20 with a move of 0.13%. USD/JPY fell 0.19% to 153.14. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.22% to 96.06.
This mixed close highlights a market where sector leadership diverged sharply, producing significant single-stock volatility even as headline indices moved only modestly.