04:55 PM EDT, 10/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes rose this week as earnings got off to a good start and expectations for an interest-rate cut remained alive amid relatively strong macroeconomic data.

* The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 43,275.91 on Friday, compared with 42,863.93 a week ago. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 18,489.55 versus 18,342.94 a week prior. The S&P 500 read was 5,864.67 end-of-play, compared with 5,815.03 a week earlier. Utilities, real estate, and financials topped the sector charts.

* Netflix ( NFLX ) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's ( TSM ) quarterly earnings helped outweigh the detrimental impact of technology giant ASML's ( ASML ) lackluster guidance. Further, Morgan Stanley ( MS ) , Blackstone (BX), and Wells Fargo ( WFC ) were among the top gainers in financial services, carrying the baton from last week.

* In economic news, US retail sales rose more than forecast in September, and initial jobless claims fell more than forecast in the week ended Oct. 12.

* Desjardins said another 50 basis-point cut is already off the table for the upcoming monetary policy meetings this year, given September's job and core inflation data. "We still expect 25 basis point cuts in November and December, though a pause may not be too far off."

* Looking past factors such as hurricanes and the Boeing ( BA ) strike, the jobless claims data are consistent with a labor market that has cooled but isn't collapsing, allowing the Fed to "proceed with future rate cuts at a measured pace," according to Oxford Economics.

* The probability of a 25 basis-point cut at the Fed's Nov. 7 meeting stood at 93% by late Friday, as per the CME Group's FedWatch Tool. The remaining 7% likelihood was for a pause, reflecting a zero probability for a 50 basis-point cut.

* West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded below the $70 a barrel mark amid reports that the Biden administration is pushing for a truce in Gaza amid the killing of Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar.