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US Stocks closed little changed on Thursday, recovering most of their losses from earlier in the session, after the World Health Organization quelled some of the fears around the deadly coronavirus. The Dow ended the day down -26.18 points or -0.09% recovering from a fall of more than 200 points. The broader S&P500 gained +0.11% while the NASDAQ rose +0.2%.

U.S. markets ended a volatile session along the flatline on Wednesday despite gains from IBM that lifted the overall technology sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 10 points, or less than 0.1%. Earlier in the day, the Dow was up more than 120 points. The S&P 500 added less than 0.1%. it also reached an intraday record. The Nasdaq Composite notched an intraday all-time high as well, advancing 0.1%.

US equity markets resumed trading after the long weekend on the backfoot after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first case of the coronavirus within the US - Dow fell -152-points or -0.52%, snapping a five session winning streak. Boeing Co fell -3.33% on news the company doesn’t expect regulators to sign off on the beleaguered 737 Max jet until June or July. The broader S&P500 -0.33%, The technology-centric NASDAQ slipped -0.17% after touching a fresh record intra-day high (9,397.58) earlier in the session. Chinese tech behemoth Tencent Holdings Ltd dropped -2.88%, after the firm’s Chairman Pony Ma reportedly sold $2B Hong Kong dollars (~US$257.31M) worth of shares, according to Reuters.

US equity and bond markets were CLOSED overnight in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. In stock headlines, Boeing Co is reportedly in talks with banks about borrowing US$10B or more amid rising costs following two crashes involving its 737 MAX jetliner. Boeing has reportedly has reportedly thus far secured US$6B from banks and is talking to other lenders for further contributions (source: Reuters).

US equity markets capped a strong week with another round of record highs, buoyed by some strong housing data - Dow up +-50-points or +0.17% (to 29,348.10). Boeing Co fell 2.36% after the company said that it is grappling with a new software headache before its 737 MAX can return to service, a problem industry and government officials said prevents the jet’s flight-control computers from powering up as required prior to flight. The broader S&P500 gained +0.39% (to 3,329.62) NASDAQ rose +0.34% (to 9,388.94). All three main indices touched fresh record intra-day and closing highs. For the week all three benchmark indices posted their largest percentage gains since 30 August last year, with the Dow gaining +1.82%, S&P500 +1.97% and Nasdaq +2.29%. US equity and bond markets are closed tonight AEST in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

US equity markets rallied, pushing deeper into record territory amid optimism on the trade front  - Dow up +267-points or +0.92% (to 29,297.64) to book its fourth straight gain and back-to-back record closing highs. The broader S&P500 +0.84% (to 3,316.81), breaking above >3,300 for the first time, with Information Technology (up +1.40%) leading all eleven primary sectors higher.  Gap Inc jumped as much as +9% in the extended session after announcing that it no longer plans to spin off its Old Navy brand, saying the "cost and complexity" of the separation limited the creation of "appropriate value" from the split. Southwest Airlines Co (up +0.49%) said that it removed the Boeing Co.’s (+0.67%) 737 Max flights from its schedule through 6 June. The technology-centric NASDAQ gained +1.06% (to 9,357.14) Microsoft Inc (up +1.83%) hit record highs, while Google-parent Alphabet Inc’s (+0.87%) market capitalisation topped US$1 trillion for the first time (joining fellow technology companies Apple Inc and Microsoft in the exclusive club). The company reports fourth-quarter earnings on 3 February.  All three benchmark indices settled at all-time highs.

US equity markets advanced albeit closed well off their best levels of the session as investors eyed the signing of the first phase of a multi-staged trade pact between China and the US - Dow up +91-points or +0.31% (to 29,030.55, off an intra-session peak of 29,127), closing above >29,000 for the first time. The gain marks the 40th trading day since its last milestone on 15 November, and the fastest such ascent for the Dow since January of 2018 when it took only eight trading sessions to close at 26,000. The broader S&P500 rose +0.19% (to 3,289.29) and a fresh record closing high but pared an earlier climb of ~0.5%. Retailer Target Corp slumped -6.6% after it missed its own expectations for 2019 holiday season sales after reporting a drop in online growth and demand for toys and electronics. The technology-centric NASDAQ edged +0.08% higher (to 9,258.79), closing just shy of a fresh record closing high after paring an earlier climb of as much as +0.5%. All three benchmark indices touched intraday record highs.

US equity markets settled mixed , with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq pulling back from record highs as the fourth quarter earnings season got underway  - Dow up +27-points or +0.11%. FedEx Corp rose 1.8% after Amazon.com Inc said sellers on the platform can begin using FedEx’s ground delivery after again after temporarily halting access to the FedEx service during the holiday shopping season. The broader S&P500 slipped -0.15% and the technology-centric NASDAQ -0.23%. Stocks hit session lows after a report from Bloomberg News said that existing tariffs on Chinese imports would likely stay in place through the election and any reduction would depend on Chinese compliance with the terms of the accord before mostly recouping those losses.

Fresh record highs for both the S&P500 and Nasdaq ahead of the signing of a phase one trade deal between the US and China - Dow up +83-points or +0.29%. Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Cisco Systems rose more than >1% each to lead the Dow higher. The broader S&P500 gained +0.70% (to 3,288.13), with Materials (up +1.36%) and Information Technology (+1.34%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors higher, with Health Care (down -0.35%) the only laggard. The technology-centric NASDAQ rallied +1.04% (to 9,272.33). Apple Inc rose +2.14% and touched a fresh record high (US$317.07). Tesla Inc jumped +9.77% and above >US$500 for the first time, with analysts at Oppenheimer hiking their price target on the electric vehicle maker to US$612 per share from a previous target of US$385 per share. Traders also noted that short interest in Tesla has fallen to historical lows. Lululemon Athletica gained +4.40% after the athletic apparel company lifted its outlook for the current quarter. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Visa Inc has agreed to acquire privately held financial technology startup Plaid Inc for US$5.3B.

US equity markets closed lower on Friday (10 January) but the benchmark indices still logged solid weekly gains  - Dow down -133-points or -0.46% after briefly topping 29,000 for the first time. Boeing Co fell -1.91% after the company released internal emails that painted a disturbing picture of its 737 Max program, with employees bragging about fooling Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulators and ridiculing its safety. The emails were part of more than 100 pages of documents sent Thursday (9 January) by Boeing to House and Senate committees that have been investigating the aircraft maker in the wake of two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a combined 346 people. The broader S&P500 eased -0.29%, with Financials (down -0.78%), Industrials (-0.71%) and Energy (-0.64%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors into the red. The technology-centric NASDAQ slipped -0.27%. All three benchmark indices set fresh intraday highs. For the week, the Dow rose +0.66%, S&P500 +0.94% and Nasdaq +1.75%.