The benchmark S&P 500 rose to a near all-time high on Thursday, as investors assessed a mixed bag of corporate earnings and comments from President Donald Trump that offered little clarity on his highly anticipated trade policies.

Wall Street's main indexes rose on Wednesday, with the benchmark S&P 500 hitting an all-time high, as investors cheered streaming giant Netflix's strong quarterly performance and President Donald Trump's multi-billion dollar support to bolster AI infrastructure.

Stocks were mixed on Thursday, with momentum stalling after the S&P 500 closed near record highs on Wednesday. Investors parsed fresh jobless claims data.

US stocks were subdued at the open after this week's rallies pushed the S&P 500 to a record. Investors will eye trade clues from Trump's Davos speech.

Dow jumps as S&P 500 hits a record high. Trump pushes for rate cuts and cheaper oil, while rising jobless claims hint at economic softening.

The S&P 500 was up slightly Thursday, gaining enough ground to put the large-cap benchmark on track for a record close if the advance holds. The S&P 500 was up around 12 points, or 0.2%, near 6,099 with around two hours left in the trading session.

Looking ahead, some analysts think the stock market will keep soaring as Trump pushes for deregulation and tax cuts during his second term. For instance, while on the campaign trail, he proposed lowering the corporate tax rate to 15% for domestic manufacturers. That could boost net profit margins and send the stock market higher.

President Donald Trump making stock market history may serve as an ominous short-term warning for investors, but the long-term upward trajectory for equities remains firmly intact.

The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher in midday trading and on track to squeak past its all-time high set early last month after coming close the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 236 points, or 0.2%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was edging 0.2% lower.

President Donald Trump's boost to AI demand hopes is outweighing fresh tariff threats on China and the EU, as earnings season rolls on.