Investors focussed on a stream of solid earnings reports after a lukewarm reception for U.S. President Donald Trump's tax plan unveiled on Wednesday, as some details of the plan were largely anticipated by investors.Corporate earnings continue to show strong results for the quarter. Comcast , up 2.1 percent, was the top boost to the benchmark S&P 500 index after reporting results. "Most folks were expecting a build in earnings acceleration and that's what we've got," said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors in Boston. "First-quarter earnings are expected to show growth of 12.4 percent, the best since 2011, according to Thomson Reuters data.U.S. crude settled down 1.3 percent at $48.97 per barrel and Brent settled off 0.7 percent at $51.44 on the day.

Source: The Star April 27, 2017 20:15 UTC