04:10 PM EDT, 08/27/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes ended higher on Wednesday as investors await Nvidia earnings after the bell.

* Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect Nvidia to report fiscal Q2 non-GAAP earnings of $1.01 per share and revenue of $46.05 billion. Ruben Dalfovo, an investment strategist at Saxo Bank, noted in a Tuesday report that expectations are high due to a surge in artificial intelligence spending. He also highlighted that Nvidia, now the largest weight in the S&P 500 at around 8%, has the potential to influence broad portfolios with its guidance.

* Mortgage applications dropped by 0.5% in the week ending Aug. 22, driven by a decline in refinancing applications, though partially offset by an increase in purchase applications, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. This follows a 1.4% decrease in overall activity in the previous week.

* October West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $0.67 to settle at $63.92 per barrel, while October Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.62 to $67.84.

* Albemarle's (ALB) shares were up about 7.8%, making it the top performer on the S&P 500, after UBS raised its rating to neutral from sell with a price target of $89.

* Paramount Skydance ( PSKY ) shares fell 6.4% after Morgan Stanley lowered its price target for the stock to $10 from $12, maintaining its underweight rating.