**Dow Surges as Salesforce and Deere Impress; Alphabet and Amazon Face Challenges**

The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a remarkable upswing on Thursday, surging over 600 points to reach its highest level in a week. By the afternoon, the index had climbed 544 points, or 1.3%, landing at 43,953. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 saw an increase of 0.6%, and the Nasdaq inched up by 0.1%.

These gains were largely driven by a notable 5.2% rise in Salesforce shares, following increased price targets from three brokerages. Nvidia also contributed to the upward momentum, with its shares rising 0.8% after the company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations and forecasted a strong fourth-quarter revenue. Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, highlighted the future potential for Nvidia, particularly in AI, despite some investors' concerns over its slower growth forecast in seven quarters.

However, the day wasn't positive for all tech giants. Alphabet experienced a significant decline, falling 5.4% as it reached a two-week low. This drop occurred after the Justice Department urged a judge to compel Google to divest its Chrome browser and implement other measures to dismantle its search monopoly. The decline in Alphabet's stock impacted the communication services sector of the S&P 500, making it the worst performer with a 1.9% fall.

Amazon also faced headwinds, losing 2% amid reports of a likely European Union investigation next year. The probe aims to determine whether Amazon prioritizes its own brand products on its online marketplace.

In other market news, Deere shares soared by 9% after the machinery manufacturer reported a strong fourth-quarter profit. AI company Snowflake experienced a dramatic 34% jump in its stock following an upward revision of its annual product revenue forecast.

On the economic data front, a weekly report indicated an unexpected drop in jobless claims last week, suggesting resumed job growth for November. Investors are now turning their attention to the Federal Reserve, with money-market bets favoring a 25-basis-point interest rate cut in December. Recent comments from Fed officials, including Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin and Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee, suggest a cautious approach to further rate cuts.

With the upcoming mid-December Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, market participants will be closely monitoring any policy signals from the Fed. According to Saglimbene, "The next thing markets will look for is the Fed meeting, and some policy speak from Fed officials this week have pointed to maybe a pause in the making for December."