• The S&P 500 jumped 1% on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, heading right into a three-day weekend on a high note as prospects rebounded for added interest-rate cuts in 2025.

• Intel shares took off following reports that the semiconductor giant could possibly be an acquisition goal.

• Freight shipper J.B. Hunt posted lower-than-expected sales and profits for the fourth quarter, and its shares dropped.

Major U.S. equities indexes pushed higher to finish the week, with traders set for a time off in statement of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on a Monday that may also see the swearing-in of Donald Trump for his second presidential term.

The strength amongst stocks to shut out the week coincided with rejuvenated optimism that the Federal Reserve could proceed to lower rates of interest in 2025, bolstered by indications of ebbing inflation. (Listed here are 4 reasons inflation continues to be around.)

The S&P 500 advanced 1% on Friday. Strength within the tech sector helped lift the Nasdaq 1.5%, while the Dow ended the day 0.8% higher.

Intel (INTC) shares surged 9.3%, notching the S&P 500’s best performance, amid reports that the semiconductor giant could possibly be a takeover goal. Friday’s push higher prolonged gains posted by Intel stock earlier within the week after the chipmaker said it will transition its enterprise fund right into a stand-alone entity, with the corporate remaining an investor. Intel’s interim CEO said the move would help the corporate boost efficiency and maximize the worth of its assets.

SLB (SLB), the world’s largest oilfield services company, reported better-than-expected profits for the fourth quarter, increased its dividend, and stepped up its share repurchases. Although SLB struck a cautious tone for 2025, indicating that year-over-year revenue growth can be limited as high oil supply levels restrain oilfield activities, its shares jumped 6.1% within the wake of the strong earnings report.

Shares of Truist Financial (TFC) gained 5.9% after the bank holding company topped quarterly sales and profit estimates. Net interest income and non-interest income moved higher from their year-ago levels, helping drive the strong results. A rise in average deposit balances also contributed to Truist’s performance, which got here despite a downturn in average loan balances.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) suffered the steepest drop of any S&P 500 stock on Friday, tumbling 7.4% after the shipping firm’s fourth-quarter sales and profits fell in need of expectations. Slumping volumes weighed on performance, and the corporate reported revenue declines across all of its segments. J.B. Hunt’s CEO said that the corporate stays focused on repairing its margins because it navigates freight-industry headwinds.

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