- Nasdaq gains 0.57% to record-high 13,856.30 on Friday.
- Johnson & Johnson asks FDA for immediate COVID-19 vaccine approval.
- Zoom shares soar on new office features
The US markets closed higher on Friday, boosted by the House and Senate advancing President Biden?s US$1.9 trillion stimulus package and progression on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The Nasdaq and S&P500 both reported their biggest weekly percentage gains since November and both closed at a record high on Friday.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 0.57% at 13,856.30 at close, while the Dow Jones climbed 0.3% at 31,148.24 and the S&P500 gained 0.39% at 3886.83.
The Australian dollar has strengthened to US$0.77 US.
Bitcoin has continued its bull run, hitting US$40,999.05 on Saturday. It's fetching US$39,068.52 at 10:45am AEDT.
Making headlines, Johnson & Johnson has asked the FDA for immediate approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Despite having a lower efficacy rate of 66% compared to competitor jabs by Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson?s vaccine is 85% effective in preventing severe forms of the coronavirus.
In tech news, video conference platform Zoom surged more than 7% on Friday after launching new features in its Zoom Rooms "Everywhere Workforce" initiatives to help companies safely bring workers back into offices.
Meanwhile, GameStop shares rebounded more than 19% on Friday after brokerage app Robinhood removed buying limits on all "meme stocks". The green finish on Friday did little to help GameStop?s 80% freefall over the last week.
And the world?s most anticipated ad campaigns launch today at the Super Bowl.
General Motors is using Will Ferrell to poke fun at the US for buying "way less" electric vehicles than Norway, as it pushes to launch 30 new model EV?s by 2025.