Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Mixed on Muddled Earnings and Econ Data
Conflicting earnings news and a strong headline GDP report that was weak under the hood made for a turbulent session.


Stocks closed mixed Thursday in a seesaw session driven by conflicting corporate earnings reports and a cloudy picture on the health of the U.S. economy.
Strong earnings from Caterpillar (CAT, +7.8%) helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average end the day in the green, rising 0.6% to close at 32,036. But a disappointing revenue forecast from Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META, -24.6%) after Wednesday's close weighed on the Nasdaq Composite. The tech-heavy index slumped 1.6% to finish at 10,792. The broader S&P 500, meanwhile, somewhat split the difference, closing off 0.6% at 3,807.
Markets got an early lift from a better-than-expected reading on third-quarter gross domestic product. The U.S. economy rebounded after two consecutive quarters of contraction to grow at an annual rate of 2.6% in Q3. That topped economists' estimates for annualized growth of 2.4%.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The optimism was short-lived, however, as underlying components of the GDP report suggested that an economic slowdown remains the most likely scenario in 2023.
The Best Dividend Stocks You Can Count On
Thursday's session was full of twists and turns, and that should remind investors that heightened volatility remains the order of the day. Stocks had been grinding higher since mid-October on encouraging third-quarter earnings reports. Given that this was supposed to be the worst earnings season since the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, the market's bullishness over reports that turned out brighter than forecast made sense. But lackluster results from mega-cap technology companies Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) and cloud-computing giant Microsoft (MSFT) earlier this week put an end to the good feelings. Meta Platforms only added to the dour mood. With Amazon.com (AMZN) and Apple (AAPL) set to report after Thursday's closing bell, tomorrow's session could be a real doozy.
Happily, investors looking to smooth out their returns in turbulent times have a number of options. Low-volatility exchange-traded funds are a cheap and easy way to own a diversified portfolio of stocks that tend to hold up better when the market is selling off. Dividend payers in defensive sectors, such as the best consumer staples stocks or the best Dow dividend stocks, will also stand patient investors in good stead. Folks who can maintain truly long horizons can't go wrong with the creme de la creme of dividend growth stocks. The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats is an index of companies that have raised their payouts for at least 25 consecutive years. Heck, two of the components extended their streaks in just the past couple of days. Have a look at the 65 best dividend stocks you can count on for reliable and rising dividends.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Dan Burrows is Kiplinger's senior investing writer, having joined the publication full time in 2016.
A long-time financial journalist, Dan is a veteran of MarketWatch, CBS MoneyWatch, SmartMoney, InvestorPlace, DailyFinance and other tier 1 national publications. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Consumer Reports and his stories have appeared in the New York Daily News, the San Jose Mercury News and Investor's Business Daily, among many other outlets. As a senior writer at AOL's DailyFinance, Dan reported market news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Once upon a time – before his days as a financial reporter and assistant financial editor at legendary fashion trade paper Women's Wear Daily – Dan worked for Spy magazine, scribbled away at Time Inc. and contributed to Maxim magazine back when lad mags were a thing. He's also written for Esquire magazine's Dubious Achievements Awards.
In his current role at Kiplinger, Dan writes about markets and macroeconomics.
Dan holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Columbia University.
Disclosure: Dan does not trade individual stocks or securities. He is eternally long the U.S equity market, primarily through tax-advantaged accounts.
-
Energy-Efficiency Credits — Get ’Em While You Can
Green energy-efficiency credits are on the chopping block. These tax credits can be valuable, but you should upgrade your home sooner rather than later.
-
Retire in Japan: It Ain’t Easy, Unless You’re Very Special
People find relocating to Japan worth the effort, as long as you can jump through those administrative hoops and be open to a flexible view of “retirement.”
-
AI vs the Stock Market: How Did Tech Stocks, Palantir and Albemarle Perform in May?
AI is a new tool to help investors analyze data, but can it beat the stock market? Here's how a chatbot's stock picks fared in May.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Bounce as US-China Tensions Escalate
Stocks were volatile to end the week and the month amid concerns a trade truce between the U.S. and China is splintering.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Chop as Judges Block Then Reinstate Tariffs
The Trump administration has asked for and received a stay in a case that seems headed for the Supreme Court.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Struggle Ahead of Nvidia Earnings
The three main indexes closed lower as Wall Street awaited the AI bellwether's quarterly results.
-
Stock Market Today: "Good Trump" Gives Dow 740-Point Boost
Friday's headwind was Tuesday's tailwind, as President Trump's social media posts continue to drag and drive financial markets.
-
A Case Study in Mismatched Fund Returns
Stock Market Why do a fund's returns sometimes differ from its underlying index? A longstanding legal principle holds the key.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Drop as Trump Takes Aim at EU, Apple
The commander in chief issued new tariff threats against the European Union and the iPhone maker.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Chop After House Passes Trump's Tax Bill
The bill, which was narrowly approved by the House of Representatives, will now move to the Senate.