Morning Report: US sharemarkets were mixed on Thursday

Investors bet on strong earnings from big technology companies next week. Intel shares rose 6.5% after it lifted its 2021 dividend by 5%. Apple shares rose 3.7% after Morgan Stanley analysts predicted a record December quarter print for the tech giant. Ford shares jumped 6.2% after Deutsche Bank raised its price target on the US automaker’s stock. But shares of US airline United fell 5.7% after posting its fourth straight quarterly loss. The Dow Jones index fell by 12 points or 0.04% after hitting all-time highs during the trading session. The S&P 500 index gained just 1 point and the Nasdaq index rose by 74 points or 0.6% – both closing at record highs.