01:44 PM EST, 11/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday as markets weighed Nvidia's ( NVDA ) results and the latest economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.3% at 43,949.3 after midday Thursday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 5,951.5. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.1% to 18,985.1. Among sectors, financials and industrial led the gainers, while communication services was the sole decliner.

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 ) expects 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 were down 0.5% intraday Thursday.

Deere (DE) shares jumped 8.7%, 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 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 on internet searches, the US Justice Department and a group of states said in a Wednesday filing.

PDD (PDD) reported lower-than-expected third-quarter results Thursday as the Chinese e-commerce platform increased its business investments amid rising competition. The company's US-listed shares slumped 9.9%, the worst performer on the Nasdaq.

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

The US two-year yield rose 2.4 basis points to 4.33% intraday, while the 10-year rate gained 1.6 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, with increasing inventory leading to more transactions," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. "Additional job gains and continued economic growth appear assured, resulting in growing housing demand."

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 1.1% to $69.53 a barrel intraday. Prices increased 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 was up 0.8% at $2,672.10 per troy ounce, while silver fell 0.2% to $30.93 per ounce.