**NEW YORK** – On Thursday, U.S. stock markets exhibited a steady trajectory, hovering close to record levels amid a relatively calm atmosphere on Wall Street.

By midday trading, the S&P 500 index had inched up by 0.1%, positioning itself to surpass its previous all-time high achieved early last month, after narrowly missing that mark the day prior. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 257 points, equating to a 0.6% rise at 12:05 PM Eastern Time, while the Nasdaq composite index experienced a slight decline of 0.3%.

This subdued trading environment coincided with slight movements in U.S. Treasury yields, which have seen notable fluctuations in recent months, contributing to volatility in the stock market. Heightened concerns over inflation and significant government debt have prompted an uptick in Treasury yields, impacting market sentiment.

Following President Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum regarding potential tariffs on imported goods, Treasury yields experienced a brief rise. He suggested that products from outside the U.S. would incur tariffs but provided limited specifics, which led to a subsequent easing of those yields. Crude oil prices also saw a decline of nearly 1% after Trump urged oil-producing nations to lower prices.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.65%, up from 4.61% seen at the end of the previous day, although it still remains below its peak earlier this month. The two-year Treasury yield, closely tied to Federal Reserve policy expectations, edged down to 4.28%, down from 4.30% late on Wednesday.

Earlier reports indicated a slight uptick in unemployment benefit applications, reaching slightly higher than what economists had anticipated. Chris Larkin, a managing director at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley, indicated that while the figures represented an increase, they remained within a relatively modest range observed in recent months, highlighting ongoing U.S. economic strength.

Market participants largely believe that this report will not compel the Federal Reserve to reduce its main interest rate during next week’s meeting, according to data from CME Group. If this prediction holds true, it would mark a significant shift, as it would be the first instance the Fed refrained from cutting rates since it began doing so last September to alleviate economic pressure. Lower interest rates typically boost investment prices but can also exacerbate inflation.

Among notable performers on Wall Street, GE Aerospace surged by 7.2% after exceeding profit expectations for the last quarter. This company, which separated from General Electric along with two other entities last year, reported a 50% increase in orders for its aircraft engines and services, totaling $12.9 billion.

Netflix also contributed positively to the S&P 500 with an increase of 2.6% following a substantial 9.7% rise the previous day, buoyed by a profitable quarterly report exceeding expectations.

Conversely, American Airlines fell by 7.1% despite reporting higher-than-expected profits and revenues. The airline projected potential losses that could be larger than analysts had anticipated for the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, the profit forecast for the entire year revealed a midpoint below analysts’ expectations.

Electronic Arts, the video game developer, saw its stock plummet by 17.5% after it cautioned about a slowdown in revenue related to its EA Sports FC25 soccer game. The company also noted that participation in its Dragon Age game fell short of expectations, negatively affecting its revenue outlook.

Internationally, stock market activity remained muted, even after China made efforts to stimulate stock prices within its economy. While Hong Kong stocks gained briefly due to a Chinese directive for pensions and mutual funds to invest more domestically, the Hang Seng index ultimately closed down by 0.4%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index rose by 0.8%, despite Fuji Media Holdings experiencing a significant drop following the retirement announcement of Masahiro Nakai—a prominent TV host and former pop star—amidst sexual assault allegations that have shaken the entertainment industry in the country.

In the realm of cryptocurrency, prices have surged based on optimism that the Trump administration may adopt a more positive stance toward the industry. Bitcoin has been trading around $105,000, having previously hit a record above $109,000 earlier in the week, as reported by CoinDesk.

As financial markets continue to evolve, traders will be keenly observing economic indicators and geopolitical developments that might influence future trading strategies.