Stock markets move higher as fresh U.S. earnings, fundamentals come into focus

Group 1: Market Overview - The Canadian stock market is driven by the basic materials sector in 2026, with expectations of double-digit earnings growth in both the U.S. and Canada this year [1] - The S&P/TSX composite index increased by 112.45 points, reaching 33,028.92 [3] - In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average rose by 292.81 points to 49,442.44, while the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq composite increased by 17.87 points to 6,944.47 and 58.27 points to 23,530.02, respectively [4] Group 2: Sector Performance - The real estate sector is expected to benefit from stable or lower mortgage rates and stable inflation, indicating potential growth [2] - The industrial sector may see re-acceleration in manufacturing activity, contributing to overall economic improvement [2] - Financial companies reported solid earnings, with BlackRock overseeing over US$14 trillion in investments and rising 5.9% after exceeding profit and revenue expectations [7][8] Group 3: Technology Sector Insights - Nvidia and other tech stocks contributed to market gains following a positive earnings report from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which plans to increase its investment in equipment to US$56 billion this year [5] - TSMC's strong demand signals a positive outlook for the AI industry, with its stock rising by 4.4% and ASML's U.S.-listed stock increasing by 5.4% [6] - Despite a temporary decline of 1.4%, Nvidia's stock rebounded by 2.1% due to TSMC's optimistic demand outlook [6]