Source: Sharecast
As of 1445 BST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.46% at 44,460.08, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.22% to 6,277.30 and the Nasdaq Composite came out of the gate 0.27$ firmer at 20,786.78.
The Dow opened 205.30 points higher on Thursday, building on gains recorded in the previous session after Donald Trump denied that he was planning to fire Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell.
Data was in focus early on Thursday, with stocks buoyed b news that retail sales rose more than expected in June, according to the Census Bureau, increasing 0.6% from May and beating consensus estimates of a 0.2% uptick.
Elsewhere on the macro front, Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at a decelerated pace in the week ended 12 July, according to the Labor Department. Initial jobless claims fell by 7,000 to 221,000, well below market expectations of a rise to 235,000 for the lowest number of new claims since April, while outstanding claims were little changed at 1.95m and the four-week moving average increased by 4,750 to 1.95m, the highest level since November 2021.
On another note, import prices were unchanged at 141.80 in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while export prices decreased from 152.70 to 151.30.
Still on data, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing index surged to 15.9 in July, its first positive reading after three consecutive months in negative territory and the highest level seen since February. The index rebounded from its June print of -4.0 and was well and truly ahead of market expectations of -1.0.
May business inventories figures and the NAHB's July housing market index will be published at 1500 BST.
In the corporate space, PepsiCo, GE Aerospace and United Airlines all traded higher at the open following better-than-expected quarterly results.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Dow Jones - Risers
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) $11.52 0.00%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) $95.15 0.00%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $281.58 0.00%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $41.25 0.00%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $153.71 0.00%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $22.69 0.00%
3M Co. (MMM) $157.49 0.00%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $69.27 0.00%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $299.02 0.00%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $285.82 0.00%
Dow Jones - Fallers
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) $11.52 0.00%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) $95.15 0.00%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $281.58 0.00%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $41.25 0.00%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $153.71 0.00%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $22.69 0.00%
3M Co. (MMM) $157.49 0.00%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $69.27 0.00%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $299.02 0.00%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $285.82 0.00%
S&P 500 - Risers
H&R Block Inc. (HRB) $55.67 0.00%
Hess Corp. (HES) $147.55 0.00%
Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) $69.17 0.00%
Dowdupont Inc. (DWDP) $0.00 0.00%
Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG) $9.81 0.00%
Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (BFH) $61.14 0.00%
3M Co. (MMM) $157.49 0.00%
Stryker Corp. (SYK) $390.65 0.00%
Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) $117.82 0.00%
Western Union Co. (WU) $8.14 0.00%
S&P 500 - Fallers
Illumina Inc. (ILMN) $96.96 0.00%
Dollar General Corp (DG) $112.57 0.00%
Republic Services Inc. (RSG) $241.08 0.00%
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) $238.73 0.00%
Ameriprise Financial Inc. (AMP) $524.87 0.00%
Globe Life Inc. (GL) $119.95 0.00%
American Tower Corp (Reit) (AMT) $223.36 0.00%
Edison International (EIX) $50.90 0.00%
Dowdupont Inc. (DWDP) $0.00 0.00%
W.W. Grainger Inc. (GWW) $1,040.10 0.00%
Nasdaq 100 - Risers
Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $106.62 0.00%
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) $238.73 0.00%
Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $379.62 0.00%
Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) $5,658.13 0.00%
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (ULTA) $485.08 0.00%
Biogen Inc (BIIB) $128.46 0.00%
JD.com, Inc. (JD) $31.64 0.00%
Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) $103.90 0.00%
Shire Plc Ads (SHPG) $0.00 0.00%
Celgene Corp. (CELG) $0.00 0.00%
Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $106.62 0.00%
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) $238.73 0.00%
Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $379.62 0.00%
Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) $5,658.13 0.00%
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (ULTA) $485.08 0.00%
Biogen Inc (BIIB) $128.46 0.00%
JD.com, Inc. (JD) $31.64 0.00%
Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) $103.90 0.00%
Shire Plc Ads (SHPG) $0.00 0.00%
Celgene Corp. (CELG) $0.00 0.00%