US benchmark equity indexes saw gains ahead of Thursday's close following a reduction in the Federal Reserve's benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.5% to reach 19,272.3, while the S&P 500 increased by 0.8%, closing at 5,977.4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.1%, finishing at 43,788.4.

All three indexes set record highs on Wednesday, following Donald Trump's victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, signaling his return to the White House. In terms of sector performance, communication services and technology led the upward trend, whereas the financial sector experienced the largest downturn. The Federal Open Market Committee's decision to lower interest rates to a range of 4.50% to 4.75% from a previous range of 4.75% to 5% aligned with a consensus compiled by Bloomberg. The US 10-year yield declined by 8.9 basis points, settling at 4.34%, and the two-year rate fell by 5.4 basis points to 4.21%. Major companies scheduled to release their quarterly financial reports after Thursday's closing bell include Arista Networks, Airbnb, Monster Beverage, Block, Pinterest, and DraftKings. Additionally, West Texas Intermediate crude saw a rise of 0.6%, priced at $72.11 a barrel..