PayPal and UPS are sparking a late-session rally, powering stocks to fresh records

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market is reaching record highs, with the S&P 500 up 0.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 265 points (0.6%), and the Nasdaq composite up 1% [1] - The bond market is experiencing modest movements as investors await key events, including the Federal Reserve's interest rate announcement and earnings reports from major companies [2] Company Performance - United Parcel Service (UPS) shares increased by 7.5% after reporting stronger-than-expected profit and revenue, along with a positive forecast for the holiday shipping season [3] - PayPal's stock rose 6.9% following a better-than-expected profit report and the announcement of a quarterly dividend for shareholders, as well as a new payment deal with OpenAI's ChatGPT [4] - Skyworks Solutions saw an 8.1% increase in stock price after announcing a merger with Qorvo in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $22 billion, with Skyworks shareholders set to own approximately 63% of the combined entity [4] - Royal Caribbean's stock fell 8.7% despite reporting stronger profits, as revenue fell short of expectations due to bad weather and the temporary closure of a destination [5] - D.R. Horton experienced a 3.3% decline in stock price after reporting weaker-than-expected profits, citing challenges for homebuyers and cautious consumer sentiment [6] - Amazon's stock rose 1.5% after announcing a reduction of about 14,000 corporate jobs (approximately 4% of its workforce) to increase spending on artificial intelligence while cutting costs [7] Economic Indicators - The Federal Reserve is expected to announce a third interest rate cut at its final meeting of the year, which is crucial for the stock market that has rallied on these expectations [8] - Fed officials have indicated a potential continuation of rate cuts into next year, although they may need to adjust if inflation rises significantly [9] - The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 3.98% from 4.01% [9] International Markets - International stock markets showed mixed results, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down 0.6% and South Korea's Kospi down 0.8% [10] Commodity Market - Gold prices have struggled after reaching nearly $4,400 per ounce last week, now dropping below $4,000 per ounce, with a year-to-date gain of approximately 50% [11]