Caterpillar (CAT) Earnings Boost Dow by 730 Points on Mixed Day

On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 730 points, or 1.5%, largely driven by a 10% rise in Caterpillar (CAT) shares following better-than-expected quarterly results. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.2%. However, technology stocks faced pressure, with Meta Platforms and Microsoft dropping 9% and 5%, respectively, due to high capital expenditures and disappointing user growth. The Commerce Department reported GDP growth at an annualized pace of 2%, up from 0.5% in Q4 2025 but below the 2.2% estimate.