Major U.S. indices finished mixed on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) as investors awaited Nvidia's highly anticipated earnings report.
Nvidia's shares dipped 0.8% in advance of the release, which could set the tone for the market through the end of the year.
At the close of U.S. trade, The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 139.5 points, or 0.3% to 43,408.5, the S&P 500 was flat at 5,917.1, and the Nasdaq Composite eased 21.3 points or 0.1% to 18,966.1.
Nvidia's results are particularly pivotal, with the chipmaker boasting a US$3.6 trillion (A$5.54 trillion) market valuation.
Investors will closely monitor updates on demand for the company’s Blackwell AI chips, which CEO Jensen Huang recently described as experiencing "insane" demand.
Retail stocks faced significant pressure, with Target tanking 22% after reporting its largest earnings miss in two years, cutting its full-year guidance amid weakening discretionary spending and cost pressures.
Elsewhere, Comcast shares edged higher following the announcement of plans to spin off its cable networks, including MSNBC and CNBC. The move, expected to take a year, marks a strategic pivot first hinted at during the company’s October earnings call.
On the bond markets, 10-year and 2-year rates were at 4.414% and 4.319%, respectively.
