US market: S&P 500, Nasdaq hit records with strong data

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq opened on Thursday at record highs with strong GDP macroeconomic data and initial jobless claims.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq hit a high of 14,211 points shortly after the opening bell with Facebook soaring 6.7%. The S&P 500 climbed to a new record of 4,218 points.

Apple increased 1% after its net income jumped 111% to $23.6 billion in the first quarter and net sales soared 54% to $89.6 billion.

The Dow Jones was up 148 to 33,968 at 9.50 a.m. EDT (1350GMT) with JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs rising 1% apiece.

The American economy expanded 6.4% in the first quarter, according to the Commerce Department, which was higher than analysts expected at 6.1%.

Initial jobless claims were below the 700,000 mark for the fourth time during the coronavirus pandemic, decreasing 13,000 to 553,000 last week. Analysts expected 549,000.