From Investing.com:

The S&P 500 managed to reach a new all-time high on Thursday, largely due to a strong performance by small-cap and semiconductor stocks. Walt Disney shares surged after the company announced an impressive profit beat, a buyback program, and a dividend increase. More than 80% of S&P 500 companies have surpassed earnings expectations. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits also fell more than expected, indicating a strong labor market. The S&P 500 closed up by 0.06%, with a record high of 4,997.91, while the Nasdaq rose by 0.24% to 15,793.72.

In spite of some turbulence in the market, small-cap and semiconductor stocks drove the S&P 500 to a new high. Earnings reports from many S&P companies have surpassed expectations, and unemployment claims have fallen significantly. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both broke new records on Thursday as well.

The S&P 500 saw an increase in new 52-week highs and new highs on Thursday, along with a decrease in new lows. At closing time, advancing issues outnumbered declining issues by a considerable margin on the NYSE and Nasdaq.

After a predominantly positive market performance on Thursday, many S&P 500 stocks rallied while others faltered. Shares of PayPal tumbled 11.2%, while Walt Disney and Spirit Airlines soared by 11.5% and 3.3% respectively. The nascent market also encouraged investment in small-cap and semiconductor stocks.



Read more: S&P 500 ends just shy of 5,000 mark after touching milestone By Reuters