NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is ticking further into record heights on Wednesday, while the U.S. dollar’s value stabilizes against other currencies after falling to its lowest level in nearly four years.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 114 points, or 0.2%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.

Some Big Tech companies and other influential stocks on Wall Street helped lead the way following an encouraging report from ASML. The Dutch company, whose machinery helps make chips, gave a forecast for 2026 revenue that topped analysts’ expectations.

ASML’s customers have been notably more encouraged about the medium term, CEO Christophe Fouquet said, mostly because of expectations for “the sustainability” of demand related to the artificial-intelligence boom. That helped allay some concerns that the AI frenzy has gone overboard and created a potential bubble that may burst.

Nvidia, the stock that’s become the poster child of the AI boom, climbed 1.2% and was the strongest single force lifting the S&P 500. ASML’s stock that trades in the United State was close to flat.

Stocks elsewhere in the market were mixed following the latest flurry of profit reports.

Starbucks jumped 4.9% after its revenue for the latest quarter topped analysts’ expectations, thanks in part to a viral bear cup. That was even though its profit for the end of 2025 fell short of analysts’ targets.

But Amphenol’s stock tumbled 14.9% even though the maker of fiber-optic connectors and other high-tech equipment reported stronger growth in profit and revenue for the end of 2025 than analysts had forecast. Expectations were high for the company after its stock came into the day with an already big surge of 23% for the young year so far.

Companies across the market are under heavy pressure to deliver solid growth in profits following the record-setting runs for their stock prices. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term, and earnings need to rise to quiet criticism that stock prices have grown too expensive.

In the foreign-currency market, the U.S. dollar found some stability and was up by roughly a third of a percent against the British pound and Japanese yen. A day earlier, an index measuring the U.S. dollar’s value against several of its peers dropped to its weakest level since early 2022.

The dollar’s value has been generally falling since President Donald Trump entered the White House last year, and its descent accelerated after Trump threatened tariffs earlier this month against several European countries that he said opposed his taking control of Greenland.

Such threats, along with worries about risks like the U.S. government’s heavy debt, have periodically pushed global investors to step away from U.S. markets, a move that’s come to be called “Sell America.”

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady ahead of an announcement coming in the afternoon from the Federal Reserve on interest rates. The widespread expectation is that it will hold its main interest rate steady.

The Fed cut rates several times last year in hopes of shoring up the job market, but inflation remains stubbornly above its 2% target, and lower interest rates could push prices higher for U.S. consumers while giving the economy a boost.

Lower interest rates could also further undercut the U.S. dollar’s value, which would help U.S. exporters. Trump has been pushing aggressively for lower rates.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.24%, where it was late Tuesday.

As global investors have stepped away from the U.S. dollar due to political instability and other worries, prices have surged for gold and other metals as investors searched for something safer to own. Gold’s price topped $5,000 per ounce this week for the first time, and it added another 3.5% to $5,258.50.

In stock markets abroad, indexes sank in Europe following better performances in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.7% to another record, thanks in part to a 5.1% leap for chip company SK Hynix, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rallied 2.6%.

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

I’m a classic satisficer: I’m usually quick about making decisions and often fall back on the tried-and-true. Some people are optimizers, carefully analyzing almost every choice, whether it’s a new sofa or a cup of coffee.

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If you want to make decent, “good enough” choices about your financial plan and portfolio and get onto other things, what strategies should you employ? And what should you stop doing? Here are some strategies to embrace.

Eliminate ‘onesies’ and embrace simple building blocks

Step away from those individual stocks. Forget I bonds and laddered portfolios of individual Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. If you’re a satisficer, they’re not for you. Reduce your number of accounts and the holdings within them.

A portfolio with fewer moving parts is easier to oversee and simpler to document in case your loved ones or a financial advisor needs to take the wheel. Moreover, Morningstar research indicates that investors tend to do a better job buying and holding broadly diversified investments than they do ones that are more focused.

While they might not compel over some shorter time horizons, total-market index funds have been highly competitive with actively managed funds on a long-term basis, and they require little to no oversight. That means that satisficer portfolios should be heavy on total market index funds and even all-in-one investments like target-date funds. Satisficers should have as few accounts as possible, too.

Minimize other financial relationships

I’m part of a group chat with some delightful people who are keen to maximize their gains from credit cards and hotel loyalty programs. They’re always sharing tips on new card offers and swapping in and out of cards to score free travel.

These people have traveled all over the world, and there’s something to be said for beating the banks at their own game. They’re also eager to take advantage of free financing programs when buying cars, furniture, and electronics. Why not let the bank float you a loan and invest the funds in the interim, particularly now that you can earn a decent return on your safe money?

Yet as much as the math might argue for such strategies, managing multiple credit relationships requires time, energy, and discipline that most people don’t have to spare. For that reason, taking a minimalist approach to credit cards and other financial relationships is a good policy for most households, especially satisficing ones. My credit-card-optimizer friends might disagree, but I tend to think that a single, well-chosen credit card or two is plenty.

Automate everything you can

The data suggest that dollar-cost averaging is inferior to lump-sum investing. To which I say, “So what?” The fact is, most of us don’t have big lump sums lying around; we’re able to invest only as we earn money and save it.

Making automatic investments addresses a number of financial pain points in a single shot. It eliminates any question marks about whether and when to invest. And if the target investment amounts are high enough and you increase them as you receive pay increases and bonuses, it also obviates the need to track expenses or budget in the traditional sense.

Pay for help if you need it

Here’s another way in which the satisficers may be willing to depart from the optimizers. Yes, paying for financial planning guidance costs money, maybe more than you think it should. (It’s not unusual for good-quality planners to charge $350-$500 an hour or more.)

But if paying for professional financial help frees you up to do other things you enjoy more and it provides peace of mind with your decision-making, it can be money well spent. Moreover, a planner can help point out blind spots that even the most competent DIYers may have missed, while also serving as a valuable receptacle of financial information in caseyou’re unable to manage your own finances at some point. Finally, planners can leverage high-powered software that puts more precision behind decisions like whether to convert traditional IRAs to Roth.

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

ChristineBenz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar.

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By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press Business Writer

Starbucks reported strong fiscal first quarter as holiday drinks and a viral bear cup helped drive sales.

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Same-store sales – or sales at locations open at least a year – rose 4% for the October-December period. That was higher than the 2.3% that Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

Same-store sales in the U.S. were also up 4%, with a 3% increase in transactions and a 1% increase in spending per visit. That was the best U.S. performance for the company in two years.

Shares of the Seattle coffee giant jumped more than 6% before the opening bell Wednesday.

Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said the results were evidence that the company’s turnaround plan is taking hold. Over the last year, Starbucks has been adding staff and equipment to stores to ensure faster and friendlier service and better sequence its mobile orders.

Starbucks is also adding seating and updating stores to make them cozier and more welcoming. Niccol said around 200 stores have been redecorated so far and more than 1,000 will get that treatment by this fall.

“We have a plan, we are working the plan, and the plan is working,” Niccol said Wednesday during a conference call with investors. “The shine is back on our brand, both in the U.S. and around the world.”

Niccol warned that the turnaround may not be linear. But the company does expect to turn around lagging sales this year. Starbucks said it expects global same-store sales and revenue to grow 3% or more in its 2026 fiscal year. Starbucks’ global same-store sales fell 1% in its previous fiscal year.

Niccol said Starbucks delivered record revenue during its holiday launch week. One “Lucky Strike extra,” Niccol said, was the $29.95 glass Bearista cups, which sold out almost immediately after they were introduced. On Wednesday, an authentic Bearista cup was selling for $119.99 on eBay.

U.S. traffic was up despite a strike by more than 1,000 unionized Starbucks workers, who hoped to disrupt Starbucks’ Red Cup Day, which is typically one of the company’s busiest days of the year. Since 2018, Starbucks has given out free, reusable cups on that day to customers who buy a holiday drink. The strike closed some stores, but only briefly.

Some U.S. stores also gained customers after Starbucks closed nearly 600 stores in North America in September. The company said it was closing the stores to focus its resources on better performers.

Starbucks also had a strong quarter in China, where same-store sales were up 7%.

In November, Starbucks announced it was forming a joint venture with Chinese investment firm Boyu Capital to operate Starbucks stores in China. Under the agreement, Boyu will acquire a 60% interest in Starbucks’ retail operations in China, which is valued at $4 billion. Starbucks will retain a 40% interest in the joint venture and will own and license the Starbucks brand.

Revenue rose 6% to $9.9 billion for the quarter, also beating Wall Street expectations for $9.65 billion.

Starbucks said its margins have been pressured by investments in labor as well as tariffs on coffee. But some of those costs should abate as this year progresses, Chief Financial Officer Cathy Smith said. In November, President Donald Trump announced he was scrapping U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities.

Adjusted for one-time items, Starbucks earned 56 cents per share in the quarter. That was lower than the 59-cent profit Wall Street was expecting.

By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

A third round of “No Kings” protests is coming this spring, with organizers saying they are planning their largest demonstrations yet across the United States to oppose what they describe as authoritarianism under President Donald Trump.

FILE – People protest as part of the “No Kings Day” protest on Presidents Day in Washington, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, near the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Previous rallies have drawn millions of people, and organizers said they expect even greater numbers on March 28 in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where violent clashes have led to the death of two people.

“We expect this to be the largest protest in American history,” Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, told The Associated Press ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. He predicted that as many as 9 million people will turn out.

“No Kings” protests, which are organized by a constellation of groups around the country, have been a focal point for outrage over Trump’s attempts to consolidate and expand his power.

“This is in large part a response to a combination of the heinous attacks on our democracy and communities coming from the regime, and a sense that nobody’s coming to save us,” Levin said.

Last year, Trump said he felt attendees were “not representative of the people of our country,” and he insisted that “I’m not a king.”

‘No Kings’ shifts focus after Minneapolis deaths

The latest round of protests had been in the works before the crackdown in Minneapolis. However, the killing of two people by federal agents in recent weeks has refocused plans.

Levin said they want to show “support for Minnesota and immigrant communities all over” and oppose “the secret police force that is murdering Americans and infringing on their basic constitutional rights.”

“And what we know is, the only way to defend those rights is to exercise them, and you do that in nonviolent but forceful ways, and that’s what I expect to see in ‘No Kings’ three,” Levin said.

Trump has broadly defended his aggressive deportation campaign and blamed local officials for refusing to cooperate. However, he’s more recently signaled a shift in response to bipartisan concern over the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Previous ‘No Kings’ protests have drawn millions across the US

In June, the first “No Kings” rallies were organized in nearly 2,000 locations nationwide, including cities, towns and community spaces. Those protests followed unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where tensions escalated with protesters blocking a freeway and setting vehicles on fire.

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They were organized also in large part to protest a military parade in the nation’s capital that marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday. “No Kings” organizers at the time called the parade a “coronation” that was symbolic of what they characterized as Trump’s growing authoritarian overreach.

In response, some conservative politicians condemned the protests as “Hate America” rallies.

During a second round of protests in October, organizers said demonstrations were held in about 2,700 cities and towns across the country. At the time, Levin pointed to Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, his unprecedented promises to use federal power to influence midterm elections, restrictions on press freedom and retribution against political opponents, steps he said cumulatively represented a direct threat to constitutionally protected rights.

On social media, both Trump and the official White House account mocked the protests, posting computer-generated images of the president wearing a crown.

The big protest days are headline-grabbing moments, but Levin said groups like his are determined to keep up steady trainings and intermediate-level organizing in hopes of growing sustainable resistance to the Trump administration’s actions.

“This isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans. This is about do we have a democracy at all, and what are we going to tell our kids and our grandkids about what we did in this moment?” Levin said. “I think that demands the kind of persistent engagement. ”