U.S. stock indexes ended mixed after drifting between small losses and gains. Trading was relatively subdued a day after strong reports on the economy stirred up worries that inflation and interest rates may remain higher than expected.

In other words, history says the Nasdaq could advance 16% in 2025, but most Wall Street analysts see even more upside in Nvidia ( NVDA -0.02%) and Lam Research ( LRCX -0.62%), two companies that reset their soaring share prices by completing 10-for-1 stock splits in 2024.

A Wells Fargo analyst recently raised the company's price target for RTX (NYSE: RTX) stock to $151 from a previous target of $140 and maintained an "overweight" rating on the stock. As such, it represents a 31% premium to the current price,

BANGKOK -- World shares were mixed on Thursday after the latest U.S. economic data calmed frazzled nerves on Wall Street.

Asian stocks were mostly lower on Thursday after U.S. stock indexes finished mixed a day after strong reports on the economy stirred up worries that inflation and interest rates may remain higher than expected.

A soft finish to 2024 still left stocks with a second straight stellar year. The S&P 500 logged a 23.3% gain, which follows a 24% rise in 2023. The combined gains of more than 53% was the largest two-year percentage jump for the index since year-end 1998,

U.S. stock indexes are feeling pressure from better-than-expected reports on the job market and business activity.

Asian shares mostly rose Tuesday, deriving optimism from rising technology stocks on Wall Street, led by Nvidia. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.4% in morning trading to 40,248.68. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slid 0.