04:48 PM EST, 11/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes closed mostly higher Thursday as traders evaluated Nvidia's ( NVDA ) earnings report and the latest economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1% to 43,870.4, while the S&P 500 increased 0.5% to 5,948.7. The Nasdaq Composite was little changed at 18,972.4. Utilities led the gainers among sectors. Only communication services and consumer discretionary closed lower.

In company news, 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. Nvidia ( NVDA ) expected fourth-quarter consolidated revenue of $37.5 billion, plus or minus 2%. The consensus estimate indicated $37.05 billion at the time.

Nvidia's ( NVDA ) shares closed 0.5% higher Thursday.

Deere (DE) shares jumped 8.1%, among the best performers on the S&P 500, after the agricultural and construction equipment maker reported higher-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results despite industry headwinds that it suggested will persist through fiscal 2025.

Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) class A and C shares fell more than 4.5% each, the steepest decline on the S&P 500 and among the worst on the Nasdaq. The tech giant's Google ( GOOG ) unit must sell its Chrome browser and take other steps to end its monopoly in the online search market, the US Justice Department and a group of states said in a Wednesday filing. The company on Thursday called the DOJ's proposals "staggering."

PDD (PDD) posted lower-than-expected third-quarter results as the Chinese e-commerce platform increased its business investments amid rising competition. The company's US-listed shares slumped nearly 11%, the worst performer on the Nasdaq.

The US two-year yield rose 4.5 basis points to 4.35%, while the 10-year rate gained 1.8 basis points to 4.42%.

In economic news, 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.

"The worst of the downturn in home sales could be over," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said.

The manufacturing index for the US Mid-Atlantic region turned negative this month, while the Midwest contraction unexpectedly improved, separate surveys from the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and Kansas City showed.

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

Fed officials' recent comments on the monetary policy path have been "somewhat mixed," Stifel said in a note to clients. "While the Fed may still opt to move forward with a third-round cut in December, any further indications of strength or 'surprises' in the data, particularly the inflation data, will offer a growing level of support for a pause in policy adjustments sooner than later."

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2% to $70.10 a barrel Thursday amid a "significant escalation" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, D.A. Davidson said in a note to clients.

Russia carried out a strike in Ukraine by a "ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead" with a medium range, CNN reported, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Gold rose 0.8% to $2,672.40 per troy ounce, while silver fell 0.5% to $30.85 per ounce.