Key Takeaways The S&P 500 added 0.5% on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, driven by upbeat earnings reports and a rebound among semiconductor stocks. United Airlines shares took off after the company topped quarterly estimates and announced a $1.5 billion share buyback plan. Shares of KLA and Applied Materials extended losses following a disappointing outlook from semiconductor equipment peer ASML. Major U.S. indexes gained ground Wednesday as investors reacted to strong earnings reports and semiconductor stocks bo ...