Tesla, IBM and Meta Platforms helped lead most U.S. stocks higher on Thursday following a rush of profit reports from some of the country’s most influential companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, as four out of every five stocks in the index climbed.

Wall Street's main indexes rose on Thursday, driven by post-earnings advances in Meta and Tesla, although Microsoft's weak cloud forecast and downbeat results from Cigna dampened investor enthusiasm. Microsoft MSFT.O dropped 4.7% after forecasting disappointing growth in its cloud computing business.

Tesla's fourth-quarter net income fell 71% from a year ago when results were boosted by a one-time tax benefit. The latest results fell short of Wall Street forecasts.

In 2024, Tesla (TSLA) ’s electric vehicle deliveries fell for the first time in the company’s 21-year history. But according to CEO Elon Musk, that’s no cause for concern because Tesla’s future is all about A.I. and other non-automobile businesses. And investors seem to buy the argument—for now.

Tesla’s latest earnings report reveals a rare sales decline and stock dip, as CEO Elon Musk’s escalating controversies and political entanglements raise questions about the brand’s long-term consumer trust and market position.

By Zaheer Kachwala and Siddarth S (Reuters) -Tesla shares gained more than 2% on Thursday after CEO Elon Musk vowed to launch long-awaited cheaper models in the first half of 2025 and start testing an autonomous ride-hailing service in June.