Among exchange-traded funds, the Nasdaq 100 tracker Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) ticked higher by 0.36% Thursday, while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA: SPY) is also up by 0.41%. In other news, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned against complacency about the Omicron variant as it continues to strain hospitals around the country. Minutes from the Fed’s December meeting had shown that a tight jobs market and persistent inflation could require the U.S. central bank to raise rates sooner than expected.