Thursday was a convincing risk-on session across U.S. equities, with all major indices closing firmly in the green. The Nasdaq led the charge with a 1.66% gain to 26,255.06, powered by a broad-based tech rally that saw Meta Platforms emerge as the standout winner of the day. The S&P 500 added 0.85% to close at 7,524.62, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a more modest 0.27% gain to 52,088.76, reflecting the index's heavier weighting toward industrials and financials rather than high-flying tech names.
Small caps joined the party as well, with the Russell 2000 climbing 1.28% to 2,960.51 — a signal that the day's optimism was not confined to mega-cap technology. Broad participation across market caps typically signals healthy underlying sentiment, and Thursday's tape delivered exactly that.
Meta's 4.70% jump to $631.48 was the headline-grabbing move of the session, reinforcing the narrative that AI-monetization stories remain in high demand. Alphabet was a notable laggard among big tech, giving back 0.84% to $358.89, suggesting some intra-sector rotation may be underway. Gold held firm at $4,129.73, reflecting continued demand for the metal even as equities rallied.