Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-0.11%) is in a familiar second place once more on Thursday afternoon.

Briefly, S&P 500 constituents Dollar Tree (DLTR 96.37, +7.75, +8.75%), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH 19.54, +1.14, +6.20%), and Cooper (COO 71.29, +3.87, +5.74%) dot the top of the standings. DLTR pops today on favorable sell side analyst commentary, while NCLH outperforms largely driven by bullish commentary from Stifel following recent management meetings. The firm reiterated its Buy rating and $26 price target, noting a notably more optimistic tone from management around booking trends compared to just a few weeks ago. Stifel believes demand rebounded strongly in May, and in a more stable macro/media environment, demand looks "incredibly healthy." While Q3 may face load factor pressure in Europe, NCLH is prioritizing pricing over volume, which could support margin resilience — and potentially lead to upside to 2025 guidance if current trends hold.

Meanwhile, Palantir Technologies (PLTR 122.55, -7.46, -5.74%) faulters after a Semafor report revealed Republican lawmakers are criticizing the company's role in a Trump-era initiative to consolidate massive government datasets on Americans, raising serious privacy concerns. The bipartisan backlash introduces new political risk and threatens Palantir's reputation and future government contract prospects, prompting investors to reprice the stock.