04:03 PM EST, 11/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes ended higher Thursday as markets weighed Nvidia's ( NVDA ) results and the latest economic data.

* Nvidia's ( NVDA ) fiscal Q3 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 Q4 consolidated revenue of $37.5 billion, plus or minus 2%. The consensus estimate indicated $37.05 billion at the time. Shares were up 0.7%.

* 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.

* January West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $1.35 to settle at $70.10 per barrel, while January Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.35 to $74.16 as geopolitical-risk premium increased after Russia was said to use an intercontinental missile to attack Ukraine, even as supply remains robust.

* Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) class A and C shares fell more than 4% each. 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.