Solid results from Apple are buoying spirits, as investors brace for PCE inflation and weigh Trump's renewed tariff threat.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Friday, as Apple gained following a strong sales forecast and a reading of the U.S. central bank's favored inflation gauge reinforced expectations that the Fed would keep interest rates unchanged for longer.

Thursday's coverage included more tech earnings, focus on Trump's latest on potential tariffs and more analysis around Monday's DeepSeek Dive.

The NASDAQ-100 is widely followed as a measure mainly of the big tech and social media stocks that make up the index.

The S&P 500 was muted on Thursday as losses in tech heavyweights Microsoft and Nvidia countered earnings-led gains for Meta and Tesla, while investors parsed a slew of corporate earnings a day after the U.

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The S&P 500 fell 0.5% on Wednesday, Jan. 29, as the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in a move widely expected by the financial markets.

Investors react to the Federal Reserve's policy decision and Chairman Jerome Powell's press conference, as well as results from Meta, Microsoft and Tesla.

S&P 500 futures are near flat Thursday night as investors analyzed earnings reports from Apple and other well-known companies ahead of the release of a closely followed inflation report. Futures tied to the broad index ticked higher by 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added 53 points, or 0.1%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 is the best performer but more risk-averse investors may prefer the more broadly diversified S&P 500.

Stocks took a step up after Trump said in a virtual address to the World Economic Forum that he would “demand that interest rates drop immediately.”

The S&P 500 climbed to 6,100 for the first time during Wednesday's session. Traders cheered strong earnings and an AI initiative Trump announced on Tuesday.