The S&P 500 rose slightly on Thursday as Wall Street players eyed key levels for closely watched bond yields and awaited comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
The broader market index rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose marginally.
The benchmark 10-year US bond yield hit a record high of 4.983% on Thursday, close to the benchmark 5% level. Returns last crossed the 5% level in 2007.
Traders will monitor the speech from Powell for insight into the direction of interest rates. While inflation figures are showing signs of recovery, the continued rise in bond yields has raised questions about how the central bank will proceed with monetary policy.
Weekly job claims fell below 200,000, another sign of continued strength in the economy despite higher interest rates. Investors also analyze the latest earnings reports released.
Tesla, the leading electric car maker posted a 5% decline after the company failed to meet benchmarks in revenue and earnings in the third quarter. The Chief Executive, Elon Musk, also warned that the company's Cybertruck model will not generate positive cash flow more than a year after production begins.
Meanwhile, Netflix shares jumped more than 14% after the streaming service giant posted third-quarter earnings that beat expectations. The company got a boost from strong ad-level subscriptions.
Wall Street is recovering from a major sell-off, as bond yields hit their highest level in years. The S&P 500 declined by 1.3% on Wednesday, while the Dow Jones lost more than 330 points or 0.98%. The Nasdaq Composite was the worst performer, down 1.6%.
