Help Daily discussion thread for August 4, 2026
US equities reached new record highs following robust corporate earnings from major corporations. Meanwhile, declining JOLTS job openings signalled a cooling labour market, as investors await the upcoming non-farm payrolls data.
The S&P 500 and Dow Jones reached record highs, while the Nasdaq surged 3.32% on strong earnings.
Palantir and Caterpillar shares surged after exceeding market estimates for both revenue and EPS.
AMD and SpaceX beat earnings forecasts, though both experienced post-market share price declines.
June JOLTS job openings fell to 7.36M, indicating labour market cooling ahead of key payrolls data.
US equity benchmarks advance amid solid corporate earnings results
US stock markets advanced firmly, driven by solid quarterly earnings results. The Nasdaq 100 Index jumped by 3.32% to 29,733. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Index increased by 1.79% to 7,736, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.71% to 54,091—with both benchmarks reaching new record highs.
Palantir quarterly earnings report
One of the most notable market performances came from Palantir Technologies, whose shares surged by 29.45% to $162.66. The company reported total revenue and earnings per share (EPS) well above market expectations. Revenue reached $1.94 billion, surpassing the market consensus forecast of $1.81 billion. In turn, Palantir’s EPS came in at $0.41, exceeding estimates of $0.34. These figures reflect a year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth rate of 94% and a YoY EPS increase of 156%.
Caterpillar quarterly earnings report
Industrial giant Caterpillar Inc. also reported revenue and EPS above market estimates. The firm posted total revenue of $20.50 billion, surpassing forecasts of $19.24 billion. Earnings per share came in at $8.17, well ahead of the anticipated $6.19. These results reflect a YoY revenue growth rate of 23.9% and a YoY EPS increase of 73%. Consequently, Caterpillar’s shares advanced by 5.60% to close at $876.54.
AMD quarterly earnings report
Furthermore, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) exceeded estimates for both revenue and EPS. The semiconductor giant reported total revenue of $11.54 billion, beating the market consensus forecast of $11.25 billion. AMD’s EPS reached $1.66, topping estimates of $1.60. These results represent a YoY revenue growth rate of 50.26% and an annual increase of 245% in EPS. However, AMD’s shares declined by approximately 9% during post-market trading.
SpaceX quarterly earnings report
Finally, SpaceX reported total revenue and earnings per share that beat market expectations. The company posted revenue of $7.8 billion, exceeding the forecast of $6.81 billion. The firm reported a negative EPS of $0.09, which was less severe than the expected contraction of $0.23. Despite these top- and bottom-line beats, SpaceX shares fell by approximately 7% in post-market trading.
US JOLTS openings fall below market expectations
According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), JOLTS job openings fell from 7.54 million in May to 7.36 million in June, missing the market forecast of 7.4 million. This marks the second consecutive monthly contraction in vacancies, pointing to moderate cooling within the labour market. The report highlighted that the most significant declines occurred in the healthcare and social assistance sector, which fell by 147,000 in June, as reported by Reuters.
However, despite JOLTS figures indicating that employment remains relatively steady—allowing the Federal Reserve to focus on inflationary pressures—the CME FedWatch Tool remained unchanged, with the implied probability of an interest rate hike at the September meeting holding at approximately 57%. Market participants are now focused on Friday's BLS report, which will release the latest non-farm payrolls data and unemployment rate.
Figure 1. US Job Openings (2025-2026). Source: Data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics; Figure obtained from Trading Economics.
