Earnings Help US Markets To Close Higher

US stock markets finished modestly higher on Wednesday following a round of earnings that lifted Boeing and Caterpillar but pounded semiconductor shares.

Boeing gained 1.1 percent despite missing analyst expectations by a wide margin as the 737 MAX crisis continued to weigh on results.

Investors took heart that the company confirmed it still expects to win regulatory approval this year to resume flights on the MAX.

Similarly, Caterpillar slashed its profit forecast, citing global economic weakness. Yet shares still gained 1.2 percent as the company said it would pare back production of new equipment, raising hopes it could avert a supply glut.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.2 percent at 26,833.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.3 percent to 3,004, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.2 percent to 8,119.

After a mostly positive set of results in the initial earnings period, this week's releases have had both winners and losers, with companies sometimes experiencing big moves.

Semiconductor shares slumped after Texas Instruments as it reported an 11 percent drop in quarterly revenues to US$3.8 billion, saying "most markets weakened further." The company slumped 7.5 percent.

In non-earnings news, Facebook jumped 2.1 percent as Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg parried tough questioning in a Capitol Hill hearing over the company's data security practices and plans for digital currency Libra.

Zuckerberg said the plan for Libra could be scaled back if it cannot win approval as a new currency for global exchanges. (AFP)