Most U.S. Stocks Rise as Earnings, Jobs Overshadow Apple

Most U.S. stocks rose, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index briefly topping 1,500, as an unexpected drop in jobless claims and better-than-forecast earnings offset the worst slump for Apple Inc. in four years.

Apple, the world’s most valuable company, slid 12 percent after reporting the slowest profit growth since 2003 and weakest sales increase in 14 quarters. Microsoft Corp. dropped 1.8 percent after the close of regular trading as it posted results. Netflix Inc. surged 42 percent as the largest online-video service beat its forecast for fourth-quarter subscriber growth and posted an unexpected profit.