03:50 PM EST, 11/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher ahead of Thursday's close as traders evaluated Nvidia's ( NVDA ) results and the latest economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.2% at 43,919.3, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% to 5,956.5. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.1% to 18,987.1. Among sectors, utilities and financials led the gainers, while communication services and consumer discretionary were the only decliners.

Chip-making giant Nvidia's ( NVDA ) fiscal third-quarter earnings more than doubled year-over-year late Wednesday as demand for generative artificial intelligence propelled revenue above Wall Street's estimates.

Intuit (INTU), Copart ( CPRT ) and Ross Stores ( ROST ) are among the companies scheduled to report results after the closing bell.

The US two-year yield rose 3.6 basis points to 4.34%, while the 10-year rate gained 1.4 basis points to 4.42%.

US existing home sales increased more than expected sequentially in October and posted the first annual gain in more than three years, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors.

Application volume for unemployment insurance in the US declined last week to its lowest level since late April, while continuing claims rose to their highest point since November 2021, the Department of Labor said.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.1% to $70.21 a barrel amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.