02:27 PM EDT, 05/01/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday, aided by a post-earnings rally in the shares of Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Meta Platforms ( META ) as markets await Apple ( AAPL ) and Amazon.com ( AMZN ) results.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 2.2% at 17,831.3 after midday Thursday, while the S&P 500 rose 1.2% to 5,636.7. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6% to 40,922.6. Among sectors, technology paced the gainers, up 3.2%, while health care saw the biggest drop.

In company news, Microsoft ( MSFT ) shares jumped 9%, the top gainer on the Dow and among the best on the S&P 500. The tech giant late Wednesday logged stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results as demand for its cloud offerings grew.

Meta shares gained 5.3% intraday Thursday, among the best performers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The Facebook parent late Wednesday posted stronger-than-projected first-quarter results and projected revenue growth for the ongoing three-month period on a sequential basis.

Eli Lilly ( LLY ) shares sank 10% intraday Thursday, the second-worst performer on the S&P 500. The drugmaker slashed its full-year earnings outlook.

IPhone maker Apple ( AAPL ) and e-commerce giant Amazon ( AMZN ) are scheduled to report results after the closing bell Thursday, along with other companies.

US Treasury yields were higher intraday, with the two-year rate advancing 8.8 basis points to 3.71% and the 10-year rate increasing 5.8 basis points to 4.23%.

In economic news, US weekly jobless claims jumped to 241,000, higher than a 223,000 level expected in a Bloomberg-compiled consensus.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to report Friday that the US economy added 135,000 nonfarm jobs in April, which would mark a drop from a 228,000 increase reported for the month prior, according to a Bloomberg poll.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.4% at $58.44 a barrel intraday.

The Trump administration has reached out to China to begin discussions on tariffs, Bloomberg News reported, citing a state-run media outlet. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly said earlier in the week that "it's up to China to de-escalate" trade tensions between the two countries.

Gold declined 3% to $3,219.40 per troy ounce, while silver fell 1.1% to $32.18 per ounce.