US markets ended mixed on Thursday, with investors juggling upbeat and cautious signals from Big Tech earnings and renewed optimism around US-China trade ties.The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high earlier this week, while the Nasdaq composite lost 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, gained 199 points, or 0.5%, by mid-morning trade, AP reported.Markets were reacting to comments from US President Donald Trump, who called his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping a “12 out of 10” and announced plans to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods. Analysts, however, warned that despite the warm rhetoric, structural trade tensions remain unresolved.“The result was fine, but fine isn’t good enough given the expectations going in,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “The results were more like small gestures instead of a grand bargain.”Big Tech weighs on sentimentTech stocks saw sharp divergences after earnings. Meta Platforms tumbled 11.3%, wiping off part of its 28% gain this year, as investors reacted to higher spending plans for 2026. Microsoft fell 2.5% despite reporting stronger quarterly earnings and revenue, with concerns about slower Azure growth and rising investment costs.Alphabet bucked the trend, rising 5.3% after reporting better-than-expected profit and revenue. Together, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft make up nearly 14.5% of the S&P 500’s total market value — meaning their moves can swing the broader market.Broader movers and macro watchChipotle Mexican Grill slumped 18% after trimming its sales growth forecast, citing “persistent macroeconomic pressures.” In contrast, Eli Lilly rose 1.7% as strong sales of its diabetes and obesity drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound boosted profits, prompting an upward revision to its annual guidance.Sherwin-Williams gained 2% after beating profit estimates despite a “softer for longer” demand outlook, while Visa advanced 1.5% on stronger-than-expected results.Fed caution lifts bond yieldsThe 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 4.09% from 4.08% the day before, after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said a December rate cut “is not a foregone conclusion.” Traders still expect a rate reduction later this year, but with less certainty, according to CME Group data.In Europe, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.9% and Germany’s DAX shed 0.2% after the European Central Bank held rates steady. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed nearly flat after the Bank of Japan also kept its policy unchanged

Former Asda boss Roger Burnley is to join the board of Marks & Spencer.

He will become a non-executive director of the high street giant from December 1, the company told shareholders on Thursday.

The retail veteran was the boss of rival Asda from 2017 until 2021, when he left the business following its £6.8 billion takeover by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital.

He was retail operations director at Sainsbury’s before moving to Asda and is currently a non-executive director at Pets at Home.

Mr Burnley will become the latest supermarket heavyweight to join the business, after former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King stepped down earlier this year.

Mr King left the board in September after around six years.

The appointment comes after a turbulent year for Marks & Spencer after it was hit by a major cyber attack which forced it to shut down online sales for around six weeks.

It said the attack has cost the company around £300 million.

Mr Burnley said: “M&S is a much-loved brand which I have always admired as setting the standard in UK retail, and it is a privilege to be joining such an engaged board.

“Much progress has been made through the reshaping for growth strategy, but there remains so much opportunity, and I am looking forward to supporting the leadership team to capitalise on that in the years ahead.”

M&S chairman Archie Norman said: “Roger brings extensive experience in the food retail industry and supply chain transformation which will be invaluable as we enter the next phase of our plan to reshape M&S for growth.

New Delhi: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved a plan for developing 76 new passenger holding areas at various railway stations across the country ahead of the 2026 festival season. The decision was taken following the success of the passenger holding area at New Delhi Railway Station, which enhanced the pre-boarding comfort for travellers, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The new holding areas planned across the country will follow a modular design and will be constructed keeping in view local conditions. The Union Minister has directed that all holding areas should be completed well before the 2026 festival season, the statement said.

The New Delhi station managed the extremely heavy rush of passengers during Diwali and Chhath with the help of its newly developed holding area, which was completed within four months. 

The Yatri Suvidha Kendra (permanent holding area) at New Delhi Railway Station is designed to accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers at any given time, significantly enhancing pre-boarding comfort and passenger flow.

The facility is strategically divided into three zones – Ticketing, Post-Ticketing, and Pre-Ticketing – to streamline passenger movement. The New Delhi station holding area can accommodate over 7,000 passengers and is equipped with 150 toilets, each for men and women, ticket counters, automatic ticket vending machines, and free RO water facilities.

Indian Railways had also run as many as 7,800 extra trains to clear the surge in passenger traffic for Diwali and Chhath, and set up War Rooms to monitor the festive rush.

Vaishnaw paid a surprise visit to the New Delhi Railway Station and conducted an on-ground assessment of the arrangements made for passengers during the festive season.

Indian Railways established a dedicated “War Room” at Rail Bhawan to monitor and manage the massive influx of festive travellers. This command centre enabled real-time monitoring and allowed officials to quickly address congestion, passenger complaints, and potential incidents, the minister said.

The war room has evolved into an effective system overseeing the entire Indian Railways network, as over 80 war rooms were active at the Railway Board, zonal, and divisional levels, according to an official statement.