Microsoft and Meta Platforms lead Wall Street higher

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft and Meta Platforms drove Wall Street higher after delivering profits for the start of the year that were even bigger than analysts expected. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% Thursday and was back within 8.8% of its record set earlier this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.5%. Treasury yields swiveled in the bond market following some mixed reports on the economy. Yields initially sank after a report showed more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected, but they later recovered following a better-than-feared update on…