- The major Wall Street indices are trading in positive territory.
- Major brokers restrict trading in volatile stocks on Thursday.
- The optimistic US data appears to be helping to improve market sentiment.
The main US stock indices They started the day on a decisive upswing after suffering heavy losses on Wednesday. The release of optimistic macroeconomic data from the US and the decision by brokers to restrict trading in highly speculative and volatile stocks allowed risk flows to dominate the markets on Thursday. At the moment, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), Wall Street’s indicator of fear, is down 18.8% on the day.
At time of writing, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.7% on the day at 30,516, the S&P 500 was up 0.66% at 3,775 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.32% at 13,152.
Earlier in the day, Robinhood and Interactive Brokers announced that they will increase margin requirements for certain stocks, including GME, AMC, EXPR, and BB, while restricting trading in those stocks only at the close of the position.
Meanwhile, data released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis revealed that Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fourth quarter grew 4% as expected. In addition, the US Department of Labor reported that initial jobless claims decreased from 67,000 to 847,000 last week.
Among the top 11 sectors in the S&P 500, the Energy Index is up 2.15% as the highest percentage gain after the opening bell. On the other hand, the Discretionary Consumption Index is the only important sector in negative territory, losing 0.15%.
S&P 500 chart (daily)
.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
