Tuesday, July 22, 2025

S&P 500 notches record-high close; GM slumps as tariffs bite

S&P 500 notches record-high close; GM slumps as tariffs bite

By Noel Randewich and Pranav Kashyap

Tue July 22, 2025 4:17 PM

It was a day of consolidating recent gains as all three indexes opened low, especially tech with the Nasdaq losing over 200 by 10 a.m., but then all three gradually recovering with the S&P barely closing flat but the Nasdaq all day in the red. The Dow industrials were in the black all day though quite flat all morning before gaining in the afternoon and closing up 3-digits. GM had a rotten day announcing a $1B write-off from tariffs and the aerospace and defense stocks also took big hits.  

Monday, July 21, 2025

S&P 500 and Nasdaq notch record high closes, lifted by Alphabet

S&P 500 and Nasdaq notch record high closes, lifted by Alphabet

By Noel Randewich and Nikhil Sharma

Mon July 21, 2025 4:29 PM

Stoked by an anticipated glowing report from Google (due Wednesday) and also more Magnificent Seven reports later this week, all the indexes shot way up throughout the day, the Dow up over 250 points, until about 2 pm when they all started plummeting to close at a near wash. But tech was still in positive territory which also meant the S&P and Nasdaq had still one more record close. For the year, the S&P is up 7%, the Nasdaq 9%. S&P Q2 earnings are expected to increase by 6.7% and the good news so far is that companies have met or beaten guidance.  

Friday, July 18, 2025

S&P, Nasdaq end on subdued note after brief dip on latest Trump tariff rumbling

S&P, Nasdaq end on subdued note after brief dip on latest Trump tariff rumbling

By David French

Fri July 18, 2025 4:56 PM

 

It was a pretty flat day from beginning to end for tech anyway as investors tried to grapple once again with the latest tariff threats. The Dow industrials went straight south though ending down 3-digits. This was the week that would either prove or disprove the harmful effects of the tariffs. But the week ended quite mixed with overall sentiment being that the markets have grown wary of the tariff debate.  

Thursday, July 17, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq end at fresh record highs as data, earnings point to consumer strength

S&P 500, Nasdaq end at fresh record highs as data, earnings point to consumer strength

By David French

Thu July 17, 2025 4:37 PM

After two days of tepid economic and Q2 reports failed to inspire much confidence regarding inflation, today the reports turned very much positive with strong Q2 from companies like PepsiCo and with Netflix coming in with both barrels after the bell. There was also TSMC, the world’s largest AI chipmaker, with a record quarterly profit thus boosting not only the whole AI sector but also all of tech.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Wall Street ends up, after brief downward detour on Powell firing confusion

Wall Street ends up, after brief downward detour on Powell firing confusion

By David French

Wed July 16, 2025 4:43 PM

The day started as a near-disaster as all the indexes took a big dive right around 11 a.m., the Dow down nearly 300 points, but it only lasted about 30 minutes before a rebound began. The trigger was a brief leak of news reports that Trump was ready to fire Jerome Powell which created a momentary panic over losing the independence of the Fed and the subsequent damage that would do to the economy. No matter that that independence meant that Trump had no authority to do any such thing any more than he has the authority to fire Hakeem Jeffries. There was still a panic but after only ½ hour, Trump himself issued a statement that the reports were false and he had no such intention, though this did not stop him from continuing his attacks on Powell for not lowering rates fast enough.  

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Nasdaq posts latest record close on Nvidia's China chip cheer

Nasdaq posts latest record close on Nvidia's China chip cheer

By David French

Tue July 15, 2025 4:00 PM

Some very good news from Nvidia that sent the Nasdaq to still another record close and had the index way up in the morning, but still not nearly good enough to offset the first of the week’s economic reports and Q2 which showed, contrary to hopes, that inflation was up and that tariffs were the reason, the first concrete evidence of the tariff effect. It sent all the indexes on a downward slope for the entire session with the Dow in substantial triple-digit losses and the Nasdaq losing almost all of its gains for the day.  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Wall Street ends with modest gains as investors await economic reports

Wall Street ends with modest gains as investors await economic reports

By David French

Mon July 14, 2025 4:00 PM

 

Once again, all the indexes started the day in the red but quickly began a rebound to spend most of the rest of the session in the black, even carving out modest gains all around by close. But it was mostly a day for holding close to the vest as the market continues to sidestep the latest tariff threats and stay on the fence awaiting an onslaught of new reports this week, not the least of which is the beginning of Q2 reporting. As today’s expert put it, “If anything is holding the market back, it’s the fact we’ve had a pretty good run since April.”  

Friday, July 11, 2025

S&P 500 recedes from record highs as tariffs sour sentiment

S&P 500 recedes from record highs as tariffs sour sentiment

By Noel Randewich and Pranav Kashyap

Fri July 11, 2025 4:00 PM

For the last few days, the market has been relatively complacent about tariffs. That all changed radically today with the announcement of still more tariffs with the trade war once again intensifying with Canada, the EU, Brazil and a number of other countries. Tariff and inflation anxiety is right back on the front page again. But no worries. When the Q2 reports start coming in next week, if they reveal as the market hopes that tariff impact has been minimal, and if the S&P earnings have increased by 5.7% as expected, then the bulls will start running again.  

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Indexes rise, boosted by Nvidia record valuation, strong Delta forecast

Indexes rise, boosted by Nvidia record valuation, strong Delta forecast

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Pranav Kashyap

Thu July 10, 2025 6:15 PM

It was pretty much a shot straight up on all the indexes except for the Nasdaq which began the day heavily in the red but began a recovery around 10 a.m. and continued on the rise breaking even around 1 pm and gaining 19. But it was another handsome 3-digit gain on the Dow. Since both the S&P and Nasdaq had already registered new record highs, today was yet another record high for both. Major boosts today came from Delta which issued its yearly profit forecast which exceeded estimates and provided some more optimism.  

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Wall Street rises as Fed minutes put rate cuts in focus, Nvidia hits $4 trillion milestone

Wall Street rises as Fed minutes put rate cuts in focus, Nvidia hits $4 trillion milestone

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Pranav Kashyap

Wed July 9, 2025 4:56 PM

Any objective reading of today’s market events would have to lead to the conclusion of very mixed signals. But today the market instead chose to focus on the positive signals and ignore the negative, thus pushing all the indexes into very respectable 3-digit gains. On the one hand, the Fed said that inflation is expected to get worse. On the other, the tariff impact is expected to be minor but, despite the headline reading “Fed Minutes Put Rate Cuts in Focus,” there really was no change.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Wall St stocks edge lower as investors look for tariff clarity

Wall St stocks edge lower as investors look for tariff clarity

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Pranav Kashyap

Tue July 8, 2025 4:37 PM

On this second day as the market continues to digest the Great Tariff Shock, the indexes took another dive and to say trading was choppy would be a vast understatement as all three were up and down a dozen times or more throughout the session. Tech fared considerably better than industrials with the Dow dropping 3-digits but really the only reason losses have not been much greater is because no one on Wall Street believes these tariffs are actually going to hold, as has been the trend. There will continue to be much volatility until investors get much wanted clarity on the trade negotiations. The Fed minutes come Wednesday which will be parsed for clarity on inflation and rate cuts. Volume remains below average at 17.03 billion vs 18.3 billion. 

DJ: 44,406.36  -422.17       NAS: 20,412.52  -188.59      S&P: 6,229.98  -49.37        7/7

DJ: 44,240.76  -165.60       NAS: 20,418.46  +5.95         S&P: 6,225.52  -4.46          7/8

Tue 7-8-25 4:37 pm Wall St stocks edge lower as investors look for tariff clarity | Reuters


Monday, July 7, 2025

Wall St knocked lower by tariff jitters; Musk's political plan hits Tesla

Wall St knocked lower by tariff jitters; Musk's political plan hits Tesla

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Pranav Kashyap

Mon July 7, 2025 4:42 PM

On Thursday, trade wars and budget bill concerns all went on the back burner, way back on the burners, with the excitement over the terrific jobs report. In fact, on Thursday, the tariff issues were widely considered to be in the rearview mirror. So what a difference a day makes. Today, with the announcement of new hefty tariffs on Japan, South Korea and others, as well as Tesla taking a major dive with Musk forming the all-new “America Party” to further challenge Trump, all three indexes also took a major dive.  

Thursday, July 3, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq close at records on jobs data; Nvidia market cap nears $4 trillion

S&P 500, Nasdaq close at records on jobs data; Nvidia market cap nears $4 trillion

By Sabrina Valle

Thu July 3, 2025 4:39 PM

Today was once again proof that, on Wall Street, nobody knows anything. It was just yesterday that the consensus was a strong desire for a weak jobs report as that would likely mean sooner rate cuts. Instead, it was a terrific jobs report with 33% more jobs than forecast and the unemployment rate falling more than expected. This was supposed to be a downer but instead triggered a big rally with investors quickly deciding to look past the rate cut issue and instead focus on the exuberant news of a healthy jobs market and healthy economy. Tariffs, budget bill, inflation, national debt and all other worrying issues also went on the backburner today.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq close on record high on Vietnam trade deal, tech stocks

S&P 500, Nasdaq close on record high on Vietnam trade deal, tech stocks

By Sabrina Valle

Wed July 2, 2025 5:02 PM

After yesterday’s report showing job gains in May had been higher than previously reported, thus being one contributing factor boosting the market, this morning another report showed lower than expected new jobs in June, thus opening all three indexes in the red. However, news of a trade deal with Vietnam quickly reversed course and at least the trade-sensitive tech indexes saw a continuous rise all day. And, as usual, when tech goes up industrials go down and the Dow was in the red almost all day but landed comfortably flat by close.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Nasdaq, S&P 500 close lower, weighed by tech stocks, Dow ends up

Nasdaq, S&P 500 close lower, weighed by tech stocks, Dow ends up

By Sabrina Valle

Tue July 1, 2025 5:33 PM

For years now, there have been concerns that with a handful of tech companies that dominate the market, should they go south, could crash the market out. That was the sentiment today as both the Nasdaq and S&P pulled back substantially from their recent rallies. And as tech goes south so industrials go north as funds flow out of risky assets into safer havens and the Dow had another very big 3-digit day. Investors were playing a tug-of-war between the concentration in tech and optimism over expected stimulus from the new budget bill, but also weighing that against the enormous cost of the bill.  

Monday, June 30, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq close at record highs, cap best quarter in over a year

S&P 500, Nasdaq close at record highs, cap best quarter in over a year

By Sabrina Valle

Mon June 30, 2025 5:02 PM

A continuing raft of soft data triggering hopes for rate cuts along with optimism over trade deals shot the indexes up again with the S&P today finally reaching a new record high after months of being down. The good news is that the 2nd quarter has closed with gains all around, the S&P up 10.57%, the Nasdaq 17.75, the Dow 4.98%. The bad news is that Q1 was so bad that it is still the worst first-half in 3 years. There’s also the problem of more and more Republicans pushing back on Trump’s bills and policies and the tariffs continuing to create an awful lot of tension.

Friday, June 27, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record closing highs amid trade negotiations, rate cut bets

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record closing highs amid trade negotiations, rate cut bets

By Stephen Culp

Fri June 27, 2025 4:30 PM  

Today’s PCE data showing weakening consumer spending for a second day strengthened the case for the Fed to cut rates sooner than later and that among other weakening data sent stocks into very substantial 3-digit gains for a second day. The Dow rose over 600 points in the morning session but then, along with all the indexes, took a major dive at about 1 pm before beginning a recovery around 3 pm to close with still substantial gains. It was at about 1 pm when Trump announced the termination of trade negotiations with Canada.  

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Wall Street ends higher on rate cuts, S&P 500, Nasdaq miss record highs

Wall Street ends higher on rate cuts, S&P 500, Nasdaq miss record highs

By Stephen Culp

Thu June 26, 2025 6:36 PM  

All the indexes trended straight up today with some more impressive 3-digit gains given the combo of the tenuous Israel-Iran truce continuing to hold and a variety of downgraded economic factors that gave rise to hopes of rate cuts sooner than later. Among such factors was a revised GDP showing more contraction than before, weaker consumer spending and jobless claims reaching multi-year highs suggesting cracks in the labor market. Stimulus also came by way of the Fed proposing to relax its leverage rules, which would make it easier for the banks to make riskier loans.  

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Wall Street ends mixed amid cooling Middle East tensions; Powell in focus

Wall Street ends mixed amid cooling Middle East tensions; Powell in focus

By Stephen Culp

Wed June 25, 2025 4:29 PM

The Reuters analyst below referred to the day’s action as a “pause” but the charts tell a story of a day-long sell-off. There’s no mystery to this what with the uncertainty and murkiness surrounding the Israel-Iran situation with Trump claiming obliteration while the intelligence agencies saying at least preliminarily that the damage was modest and Tehran’s nuclear program is far from destroyed. The truce, though tenuous, continues to hold but there remains a lack of clarity about Iran. The S&P started in the black but ended flat while the Nasdaq had a much better day in the black all day though it fell from a morning high of +140 to close at less than half that.  

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Wall St ends sharply higher, S&P 500 nears record high as Middle East tensions cool

Wall St ends sharply higher, S&P 500 nears record high as Middle East tensions cool

By Stephen Culp

Tue June 24, 2025 4:27 PM

Following on the heels of the U.S. attack on Iran which sparked a big rally yesterday, and despite the fact that the declared truce has already been violated by Israel, the fact that there is any cooling of the tensions at all caused another major rally today with both tech and industrials advancing with big 3-digit gains. Powell again restated his oft-quoted view that rate cuts can wait until we have a much clearer picture of the tariffs with the oddsmakers now putting July at 20% and September at 70%.  

Monday, June 23, 2025

Wall St ends higher as rate-cut hopes offset Iran war fears

Wall St ends higher as rate-cut hopes offset Iran war fears

By Stephen Culp

Mon June 23, 2025 4:39 PM

After posting respectable gains in the morning, all three indexes took a big dump at the noon hour going well into the red before almost immediately bouncing back to close with very nice 3-digit gains after all. There was a huge sigh of relief over Iran when uncertainty over an attack turned to certainty when the attack took place this weekend. There was more relief that Iran’s retaliation was not nearly as severe as feared and even more so that they did not move to close the Gulf of Hormuz, which would have seriously restricted oil supply.

Friday, June 20, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq end down; investors brace for more Middle East news

S&P 500, Nasdaq end down; investors brace for more Middle East news

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Fri June 20, 2025 4:00 PM

All three opened with gains but then quickly went into decline with tech hitting red as early as 10:30 and staying there while the Dow dipped into losses around 1:30 but then recovered to a very modest gain by close. The Reuters summary begins with the sentence, “Trading was choppy for much of the session.” No kidding, what with the U.S. threatening to attack Iran and now Iran refusing further negotiations until Israel stops its attacks.  

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

S&P 500 ends nearly flat, gives back gains; Fed's Powell says inflation to rise

S&P 500 ends nearly flat, gives back gains; Fed's Powell says inflation to rise

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Wed June 18, 2025 5:33 PM

All three indexes were up considerably in the morning, the Dow up some 300 by 11 a.m., then began a steady decline all day until 2:30 when suddenly all three plummeted. Yesterday, Trump very bluntly demanded unconditional surrender from Iran with a tangible threat of U.S. military attack. Today, Iran even more bluntly rejected that demand and promised serious reprisals against our bases if there is an attack. Could this announcement have come at 11 a.m.?  

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Indexes end lower as Israel-Iran fighting raises investor anxiety

Indexes end lower as Israel-Iran fighting raises investor anxiety

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Tue June 17, 2025 6:52 PM

The day began with moderate losses in all three indexes until 1 pm when all three suddenly and very dramatically plummeted, just as they did Friday. Yesterday, the market recovered ebulliently from Friday’s crash due to the very slight hope for peace when Iran offered concessions to end the war by the Arab states putting the squeeze on Trump to make Israel end the war. Today, Trump responded to that move by very bluntly announcing that Iran must immediately accept a total and unconditional surrender.  

Monday, June 16, 2025

Equities end higher as oil prices pull back on truce hopes

Equities end higher as oil prices pull back on truce hopes

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Mon June 16, 2025 4:31 PM

I speculated on Friday that, depending on how progress went between Israel and Iran over the weekend, the markets may indeed be taking an even bigger dive today. Indeed, the weekend and today saw dramatic increases in the mutual attacks. But today it took only the slightest hint of peace hopes to instead make the indexes surge, big 3-digit surges making up most of Friday’s lost ground.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Wall St ends sharply lower as Iran retaliates against Israel attack

Wall St ends sharply lower as Iran retaliates against Israel attack

By Noel Randewich and Kanchana Chakravarty

Fri June 13, 2025 7:32 PM

It was a pretty typical down day all morning reflecting the usual trade war and tariff anxiety. Then right after the noon hour, all the indexes plummeted drastically with much greater anxiety over the potential major disruption to the global markets that could well result from this brand new war between Israel and Iran. What’s puzzling is why did it take the market until noon to panic since the fighting had been going on since yesterday? Perhaps it was hopes that Iran would not retaliate so fiercely, and it has indeed been quite fierce. Today’s expert has predicted a protracted war which could have a devastating impact on global trade, especially if the critical Gulf of Hormuz is closed.  

Thursday, June 12, 2025

S&P 500 ends higher as Oracle reignites AI rally; Boeing drops

S&P 500 ends higher as Oracle reignites AI rally; Boeing drops

By Noel Randewich and Sukriti Gupta

Fri June 12, 2025 4:19 PM

All three indexes started the day in the red, the Dow down more than 250, before starting a recovery around 10 a.m. that continued throughout the day to close with modest gains, the Dow just making 3-digits. Middle East tensions haunted at first but then Oracle came out with a strong annual revenue forecast based on growing demand for its AI services and that sprung the whole market into action. Lower than expected PPI and jobless claims also helped optimism of a weakening labor market which would keep inflation down and calm market concerns about tariffs driving higher prices.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

S&P 500 ends lower; traders focus on Middle East tension and await details on trade deal

S&P 500 ends lower; traders focus on Middle East tension and await details on trade deal

By Noel Randewich and Kanchana Chakravarty

Wed June 11, 2025 4:39 PM

All three indexes enjoyed gains in the morning session, the Dow up some 250 points by 1:30, then suddenly plummeting into negative territory, all three closing in the red. What drove the buying up was likely the CPI report which showed an increase in inflation of 2.4%, below the 2.5% forecast. Additionally, there was the Trump announcement of a done deal with China with a framework agreed on to get a truce back on track.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures waver as US-China trade talks progress, inflation print looms

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures waver as US-China trade talks progress, inflation print looms

Amalya Dubrovsky --  Yahoo Finance

Updated Tue, June 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM EDT 

DJ: 42,761.76  -1.14         NAS: 19,591.24  +61.24       S&P: 6,005.88  +5.52        6/9

DJ: 42,866.87  +105.11    NAS: 19,714.99  +123.75     S&P: 6,038.81  +32.93      6/10

One of the problems of doing this blog is that if you’re not right there on the Internet when the markets close, a few hours later all the market summaries are gone. I was busy today so it was 11 pm before I could even get started so I couldn’t even find the index data in any article about the day’s movements. The individual charts reveal a lot of choppiness but overall ended with reasonably good gains. The only info I could glean from several articles is anticipation over the China trade talks which the White House reports are going well but with Trump’s cautionary note, “China is tough.” But mainly, everybody’s waiting for Wednesday’s CPI and Thursday’s jobless claims.  Per the CBOE, volume came in at 19.28 billion, above the average. 

Tue 6-10-25 Yahoo - Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures waver as US-China trade talks progress, inflation print looms


Monday, June 9, 2025

S&P 500 ends slightly up; traders watch US-China trade talks

S&P 500 ends slightly up; traders watch US-China trade talks

By Noel Randewich and Kanchana Chakravarty

Mon June 9, 2025 4:20 PM

The Dow swung back and forth in a range from -200 to +130 only to plummet in the last ten minutes to zero. The S&P started at zero, then sprung up after noon to a +21 before dropping back to near zero in the final hour. The Nasdaq had a good day zooming over 100 right away and staying there all day until falling back to +61 in the final hour. So the day was pretty much a wash but with tech benefitting from the trade talks with China that kicked off today and which the market has already decided will be successful until proven otherwise.

Friday, June 6, 2025

US stocks end up on jobs data, China hopes; Tesla bounces

US stocks end up on jobs data, China hopes; Tesla bounces

By Saeed AzharKanchana Chakravarty and Sukriti Gupta

Fri June 6, 2025 4:26 PM

After the week’s pessimism over the health of the job market and the anticipated data in today’s payrolls report, the markets were overjoyed that jobs came in 9,000 higher than forecast, especially with April’s numbers having been revised downward. It reignited confidence that the job market was steady, unemployment was steady, and consequently the economy as a whole. This caused an immediate surge at opening bell on all the indexes, the Dow up some 600 points and more or less staying steady all day and closing 443 up.  

Thursday, June 5, 2025

US stocks end lower, crude gains as Trump-Musk row distracts from trade talks, data

US stocks end lower, crude gains as Trump-Musk row distracts from trade talks, data

By Stephen Culp

Thu June 5, 2025 4:21 PM

The indexes moved in a herky-jerky fashion today as they fluctuated between red and black, the Dow swinging in almost a 400-point range between -200 and +200 several times. All three ended negative, the Dow and Nasdaq in triple digits. The upward surges were encouragement from the news that today Trump phoned Xi to talk trade, the result being a willingness to have more talks. The downward surges came as a consequence on the online feud between Trump and Musk being played out all day live on social media. Tesla’s stock dropped 14.3%.  

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Wall Street ends narrowly mixed in choppy trade on weak economic data

Wall Street ends narrowly mixed in choppy trade on weak economic data

By Saeed AzharKanchana Chakravarty and Sukriti Gupta

Wed June 4, 2025 4:35 PM

It was certainly a seesaw day as the indexes were up and down at least three times during the session, closing in a relatively flat position, the Dow down 91, the Nasdaq up 61, and the S&P with scarcely a 1 point gain. Today was the deadline Trump set for all the many nations involved in this global trade war to submit their proposals, though there is no reporting as to how many, if any, responded. But the day’s important news is a contraction in the services sector showing rising supply prices and inflation likely due to tariffs.  

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Wall Street stocks close higher, dollar bounces back amid tariff talks, economic data

Wall Street stocks close higher, dollar bounces back amid tariff talks, economic data

By Stephen Culp

Tue June 3, 2025 4:32 PM

Optimism continues over the resolution of the trade wars as the markets await the world’s countries trade proposals which Trump has required by Wednesday. The indexes had nice 3-digit gains but all must still be viewed with a jaundiced eye given the patterns of protracted negotiations and moving deadlines which have prompted economists to downgrade forecasts. Today got a boost though from the White House announcement that Trump would be meeting this week with China’s president to talk trade and tariffs, taken as another positive step towards ending this.

Monday, June 2, 2025

S&P closes higher on trade hopes, Nvidia lifts Nasdaq

S&P closes higher on trade hopes, Nvidia lifts Nasdaq

By Saeed AzharKanchana Chakravarty and Sukriti Gupta

Mon June 2, 2025 7:02 PM

All three indexes started the day in the red, the Dow down over 400, the S&P down 50, until 10 a.m. when all three started a recovery which lasted all day to close modestly in the black. Trump has once again doubled down on his tariffs and today China slammed back protesting the accusation they have violated agreements. Though some traders continue to watch trade progress with a jaundiced eye, others see optimism whereas instead of seeing these threats as a bad thing are calling them “nudges to move negotiations towards the finish line.” There is today added optimism with Trump’s announcement that he wants trade proposals from all these countries by Wednesday.  

Friday, May 30, 2025

S&P 500 ends near flat but posts biggest monthly pct gain since November 2023

S&P 500 ends near flat but posts biggest monthly pct gain since November 2023

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Fri May 30, 2025 5:26 PM

It was a more or less uneventful day until about noon when all three indexes plummeted drastically, both the Dow and Nasdaq dropping over 300 each. Trump had come out with his harsh comments on Truth Social about China, but then switching gears and changing to much more conciliatory remarks which pushed all three indexes back towards break-even by close.  

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Wall Street ends up with Nvidia, appeals court reinstates Trump tariffs

Wall Street ends up with Nvidia, appeals court reinstates Trump tariffs

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Thu May 29, 2025 5:20 PM  

There was much jubilation last night as the federal trade court knocked down all the tariffs and the index futures went through the roof. Of course, the cry of “the tariffs are dead” was premature since there were still major appeals to go through, not the least being the Supreme Court, and though even more courts declared the tariffs dead throughout the day, there was still uncertainty with lots of choppy movement as the Nasdaq opened up nearly 400 (the S&P up 55) but then immediately declining throughout the day.  

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Indexes end down after chip designers ease late; Nvidia jumps after the bell

Indexes end down after chip designers ease late; Nvidia jumps after the bell

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Wed May 28, 2025 5:26 PM

The bad news outweighed the good news today sending all three indexes on a steady downward trajectory with all three losing more that ½% of their value, the Dow down 3-digits, the Nasdaq just a couple points shy of 3-digits. One trigger was the Fed issuing its minutes which, though containing nothing they haven’t been saying all along, still disappointed investors hoping for positive news. But likely the biggest trigger was Trump ordering U.S. tech companies to stop selling their product to China, causing losses in certain tech companies.  

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

US stocks end sharply higher on Trump's tariff reprieve

US stocks end sharply higher on Trump's tariff reprieve

By Stephen Culp

Tue May 27, 2025 4:25 PM

Once again, Trump has dialed back on his tariff threats, pausing the EU 50% tariff until July, subsequently causing all three indexes to surge into major 3-digit gains all around.  As today’s expert summarized, “Investors have kind of figured Trump out a little bit. He’s like the poker player at the table that you know is making some bets and then when pressed by other players at the table, he folds.”

Friday, May 23, 2025

Wall St falls as Trump tariff threats spark market uncertainty

Wall St falls as Trump tariff threats spark market uncertainty

By Chibuike Oguh

Fri May 23, 2025 6:19 PM

Maybe it’s just because it’s a major holiday weekend but I had to go through about six market summary reports to find one that actually said something, let alone give me some actual data. This was quite surprising considering how badly the session went today. It might all be summed up by the famous movie slogan, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water,” but translated to the markets, “Just when you thought all the tariff jitters were over.”  This morning Trump announced some major new tariffs including 50% on the EU and 25% on Apple phones made outside the U.S., of which almost all are.  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Wall Street stocks end mostly flat in choppy trade as Treasury yields ease

Wall Street stocks end mostly flat in choppy trade as Treasury yields ease

By Chibuike Oguh

Thu May 22, 2025 4:36 PM

The indexes were all having a very good day, all achieving handsome 3-digit gains until the final half hour when everything dropped to the floor again with the Dow and S&P closing flat, the Nasdaq with a modest gain. The tax bill passed the House by a 1-vote margin but that was evidently already priced in since the concerns today turned to tariffs and interest rates, even concerns over the bond market easing with Treasury yields dropping of recent highs. 

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Wall Street stocks tumble as worries mount about US debt

Wall Street stocks tumble as worries mount about US debt

By Chibuike Oguh

Wed May 21, 2025 7:15 PM

Everything was going along on a more or less even keel until 1 pm when the sky fell and all the indexes plummeted in a major way with 3-digit losses all around and an especially harsh 816-point loss on the Dow. This is all due to Wall Street being scared to death of this new tax bill and the very large increment it will add to the already enormous federal debt.  

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Wall Street stocks slip, rising US Treasury yields in focus

Wall Street stocks slip, rising US Treasury yields in focus

By Chibuike Oguh

Tue May 20, 2025 6:53 PM

For a second day, the markets grappled with Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating spending, most of the session modestly in the red. Then at 2 pm, all hell broke loose and all three indexes dove like a rock, the Dow down some 300 points by 3 pm when, again, all three began a rebound which resulted in much more modest losses at close. Perhaps what happened at 2 pm was the intense debate in Congress over Trump’s new huge tax bill which the experts forecast will add up to $5 trillion or about 14% to the debt, which definitely won’t do the credit rating any good.  

Monday, May 19, 2025

Wall Street stocks finish flat with sentiment weakened by Moody's downgrade

Wall Street stocks finish flat with sentiment weakened by Moody's downgrade

By Chibuike Oguh

Mon May 19, 2025 6:16 PM

All three indexes started the session deeply in the red, the Dow and Nasdaq both down some 300 points out the gate, but then all began a slow ascent to break-even by close for the tech sector and another nice 3-digit gain for industrials. The early morning panic was due to Friday’s Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating from Aaa (the highest) to Aa1 (2nd highest) due to the $36 trillion in debt the federal government has now reached.  

Friday, May 16, 2025

Wall Street advances on trade hopes, data shows investor pessimism

Wall Street advances on trade hopes, data shows investor pessimism

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Pranav Kashyap

Fri May 16, 2025 4:37 PM

Starting out flat all around, all three indexes then rose to still new heights steadily throughout the session and all three indexes had significant advances on the week. This was all despite the U of M Consumer Sentiment report showing an increase in pessimism as well as heightened expectations of inflation and recession. But the market is still riding the wave of optimism from the tariff pause, though today it’s wait-and-see again on the tax bill which has been blocked. Caution remains, “We haven’t even begun to see what happens when those tariffs really bite, when firms have to raise their prices to consumers and consumers see fewer goods and less variety on the shelves.” Volume came in at 17.6 billion, slightly above the 17 billion average.

DJ: 42,322.75  +271.69      NAS: 19,112.32  -34.49        S&P: 5,916.93  +24.35        5/15

DJ: 42,654.74  +331.99      NAS: 19,211.10  +98.78       S&P: 5,958.38  +41.45        5/16

Fri 5-16-25 4:37 pm Wall Street advances on trade hopes, data shows investor pessimism | Reuters


Thursday, May 15, 2025

Wall Street ends mixed; Cisco rallies while UnitedHealth tumbles

Wall Street ends mixed; Cisco rallies while UnitedHealth tumbles

By Noel Randewich and Pranav Kashyap

Thu May 15, 2025 4:20 PM

All three indexes started the day in the red, the Dow down nearly 300, the Nasdaq even worse percentage-wise at nearly -200. Then they all began a recovery with the Dow ultimately going well into positive territory and the S&P in its seventh straight day of gains having now fully recovered from the dramatic April losses but still 4% below its February high. The Nasdaq spent almost all day in the red.  

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

S&P 500 barely gains, investors focus on trade, wait for data

S&P 500 barely gains, investors focus on trade, wait for data

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Shashwat Chauhan

Wed May 14, 2025 4:44 PM

It was a flat day for the S&P, another good day for the Nasdaq and yet another day of profit-taking for the Dow as it came down another notch or two from Monday’s enormous rally. Given no major new data today and looking for PPI and retail sales numbers coming tomorrow, it was a relatively quiet day with tech still moving up as it will be the biggest beneficiary of the tariff pause, and the S&P enjoying now six straight days of gains and now just 4% below its February high before the tariff turmoil dissed it. All eyes are peeled for any sign that the trade war has impacted the economy with no major signs yet but uncertainty prevails. 19.73 billion shares were traded, well above the 16.77 average. 

DJ: 42,140.43  -269.67      NAS: 19,010.09  +301.74      S&P: 5,886.55  +42.36         5/13

DJ: 42,051.06  -89.37        NAS: 19,146.81  +136.72      S&P: 5,892.58  +6.03           5/14

Wed 5-14-25 4:44 pm S&P 500 barely gains, investors focus on trade, wait for data | Reuters


Tuesday, May 13, 2025

S&P 500, Nasdaq end higher on soft inflation data, trade optimism

S&P 500, Nasdaq end higher on soft inflation data, trade optimism

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Shashwat Chauhan

Tue May 13, 2025 4:41 PM

On a second day of exuberance over the China tariff pause, the tech indexes were substantially straight up again with the Dow taking a break from its enormous rally yesterday with investors taking some profits. This makes sense as the tariff pause poses a big benefit to tech. It took six weeks but today the Nasdaq and S&P has recovered all its losses since “Liberation Day.”

Monday, May 12, 2025

Wall Street equity indexes close higher after US-China tariff truce

Wall Street equity indexes close higher after US-China tariff truce

By SinĂ©ad Carew and Shashwat Chauhan

Mon May 12, 2025 6:52 PM

All three indexes catapulted into the stratosphere right out the gate and stayed that way steadily all day to close with huge gains, the biggest single-day gains in over a month. And what a relief rally it was! The Dow actually broke a +1100, the Nasdaq almost +800 and the S&P into 3-digits which it rarely does. On Friday, expectations were high, though guarded, that there would be progress this weekend in Geneva and though such progress was limited to just a 90-day pause, it was the first really positive step with China and so was greeted with great enthusiasm this morning. 

Friday, May 9, 2025

Wall St closes near flat with focus on US-China talks

Wall St closes near flat with focus on US-China talks

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Fri May 9, 2025 4:17 PM

The big deal is the coming trade talks with China this weekend in Geneva and since the consensus is that things could go either way, the market indexes waffled back and forth most of the day between red and black but mostly straddling break-even. The exception was the Dow which went more deeply into the black most of the day reaching a low point of about a -220 but eventually closing at a -119. 

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Wall Street gains as first trade deal reached

Wall Street gains as first trade deal reached

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Thu May 8, 2025 7:00 PM

 

It was a very good day all around even though it started much, much better. Though a slow start, there was a great big jump at 11 a.m. and by noon all the indexes were way up, the Dow up 630 at its height, then suddenly dramatically tumbling in the final half hour. Nonetheless, the day ended with handsome gains all around. After a long wait and much anticipation, the first trade deal was announced, this one with Britain, with some concessions though the tariff would remain in place.  

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Late chip rally lifts stocks after Fed holds rates steady

Late chip rally lifts stocks after Fed holds rates steady

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Wed May 7, 2025 7:12 PM

It certainly was a seesaw day all day on all indexes with the S&P and Nasdaq rising and falling between black and red while the Dow went from a high of about +440 ranging to a low of break-even before rallying again at 2 pm to close up 284.  Something happened to cause the crash that happened about 1 pm which cost the Dow all of its gains for the day. Even though the Fed had held rates steady which was widely expected, Powell made the announcement the White House actions were the reason the economic outlook was cloudy, again hardly a state secret.  

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Equities close lower as tariff uncertainty weighs

Equities close lower as tariff uncertainty weighs

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Tue May 6, 2025 4:30 PM

Tariff uncertainty continues to haunt the markets and that sent all the indexes straight down today, the Dow and Nasdaq with fairly large 3-digit losses. This was all exacerbated by the announcement of still more tariffs to come, this time on pharmaceuticals. Adding to the turmoil was some walking back from the earlier statement that there would be new trade deals this week, now changed to two more weeks. This is the kind of change the market doesn’t like, continues to sour consumer sentiment as well, plus the added negative of more companies withdrawing profit outlooks. Volume reflects all this, coming in at 14.24 billion, still way below the 4-week average of 17.95 billion. 

DJ: 41,218.83  -98.60       NAS: 17,844.24  -133.49      S&P: 5,650.38  -36.29          5/5

DJ: 40,829.00  -389.83     NAS: 17,689.66  -154.58      S&P: 5,606.90  -43.48          5/6

Tue 5-6-25 4:30 pm Equities close lower as tariff uncertainty weighs | Reuters


Monday, May 5, 2025

S&P 500 snaps 9-session win streak after latest Trump tariff

S&P 500 snaps 9-session win streak after latest Trump tariff

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Mon May 5, 2025 4:16 PM  

After the S&P’s longest winning streak in 20 years and the Dow’s longest in two, all three indexes dove today in what the experts could only characterize as “nine up days is hard to maintain.” The session started way down, the Dow opening down almost 250, the S&P and Nasdaq much more dramatically at -50 and -190.  Then there was an almost immediate resurgence until 3 pm when the Dow even went momentarily in the black reaching a gain of almost 150 before all declined again. Several triggers included more tariff announcements, continued concerns over how tariffs will impact profits, and Warren Buffett announcing stepping down as CEO at year’s end though he will remain as chair. Wait-and-see is still very much in play as reflected by way below average volume of 13.67 billion vs 18.68 average.  

DJ: 41,317.43  +564.47       NAS: 17,977.73  +266.99      S&P: 5,686.68  +82.54        5/2

DJ: 41,218.83  -98.60          NAS: 17,844.24  -133.49       S&P: 5,650.38  -36.29         5/5

Mon 5-5-25 4:36 pm S&P 500 snaps 9-session win streak after latest Trump tariff | Reuters


Friday, May 2, 2025

Wall Street stocks buoyed by strong economic data, possible US-China trade talks

Wall Street stocks buoyed by strong economic data, possible US-China trade talks

By Chibuike Oguh and Sruthi Shankar

Fri May 2, 2025 5:29 PM  

Earlier labor reports this week showing a slowing in hiring and an increase in layoffs as well as contracting GDP was flatly contradicted today by today’s payroll report showing a whopping 177,000 new jobs in April obviously exceeding expectations and thus shooting all three indexes straight up from the open and staying that way all day. Sentiment was also boosted by the hint that China may be reconsidering opening trade negotiations. Both the Dow and Nasdaq got big 3-digit boosts with the S&P not far behind. The Dow has now had its ninth consecutive win, its strongest streak since 2023 and the S&P also its ninth, its longest in 11 years. For the week, the three had gains between 2.9 and 3.4%.  

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Stocks close higher, lifted by Microsoft, Meta earnings

Stocks close higher, lifted by Microsoft, Meta earnings

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Thu May 1, 2025 4:29 PM

 

Today was yet another demonstration of how easily sentiment can change on Wall Street. Q1 on two of the Magnificent Seven – Microsoft and Meta – came in today and the reports were glowing, glowing enough to at least momentarily convince investors that the tariffs weren’t hurting earnings after all. This sent the three indexes way up, the Dow up a big 430 points by 11:30. But the reveries were short-lived as the decline began after that with the reality check that there remains a great deal of uncertainty with still many companies completely foregoing any forecasts.  

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Late rally propels Dow, S&P 500 to slight gains

Late rally propels Dow, S&P 500 to slight gains

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Wed April 30, 2025 7:06 PM

With Q1 GDP coming in so poorly this morning, all the indexes went deeply into the red, the Dow down some 800 points by 10 a.m. GDP had gone from some 2.5% in Q4 to a -0.5% in Q1, the first contraction in three years. GDP even seriously underperformed the very pessimistic forecast which +0.3% coming in nearly a full percentage point below that. After three years of growth, the markets panicked but at least began an almost immediate recovery despite the fact that only half the number of estimated jobs had been added in April. The good news was that consumer and business spending was up, but this was mostly due to a boost in buying ahead of the tariffs. 

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

US stocks close higher; oil drops amid recession fears, trade talks

US stocks close higher; oil drops amid recession fears, trade talks

By Stephen Culp

April 29, 2025 4:34 PM

 

It was right at 1 pm that all three indexes started moving straight up after straddling flat all morning. In a market that’s desperate for any hint of good news, that little hint from Bessent of potential progress in trade talks must have come at 1 pm. But the fact that the bulk of the gains went to the Dow with a handsome 3-digit advance also indicates that it’s still risk-off. There was also good news on Trump’s announcement that the automobile tariffs were being scaled back a bit.  

Monday, April 28, 2025

S&P 500 ekes out slight gain with data, megacap earnings eyed

S&P 500 ekes out slight gain with data, megacap earnings eyed

By Chuck Mikolajczak

Mon April 28, 2025 4:21 PM

All three indexes spent most of the day in the red, but were up the morning, the Dow up some 300 points, before declining into deep losses in the afternoon, the Dow reaching a low of a -250 by 1:30, the Nasdaq doing considerably worse at a -250 as well by 1:30. The main trigger was poor performance by Nvidia and Amazon, Nvidia being hit particularly hard by China’s Huawei announcing their testing of a new super-AI chip that they hope will leave their U.S. competitor in the dust. The good news is that after 1:30, they all came all the way back with the Dow closing with another 3-digit gain and the tech sectors reaching break-even. And though the S&P’s gain was only slight, it still marked its fourth straight advance. 

Friday, April 25, 2025

Wall Street ends with weekly gains as trade negotiations, earnings in focus

Wall Street ends with weekly gains as trade negotiations, earnings in focus

By Stephen Culp

Fri April 25, 2025 4:23 PM

The day started in the red on all the indexes but almost immediately began to rise on a fourth day of optimism over cooling trade-war relations with China. The Dow fared less favorably, way in the red almost all day but recovering to near break-even by close. But the Dow coming down while tech goes up is actually good news as it indicates an increasing appetite for risk and moving out of safe assets.  

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Wall Street ends higher on tech boost, easing tariff tensions

Wall Street ends higher on tech boost, easing tariff tensions

By Stephen Culp

Thu April 24, 2025 4:20 PM

For the third day, optimism over the hoped-for easing of trade relations with China boosted the market into once-again substantial 3-digit gains with the tech sector helping considerably since tech and particularly AI depends so much on China.  As today’s expert put it, “Part of the reason you’re seeing the chips lead is because they’ve been kind of in the bulls-eye in the trade dispute with China.” But, not to be too optimistic, “There’s still a ton of questions around tariffs right now that we really don’t have answers to. So a lot of us are just kind of throwing darts in the dark.”  

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Wall Street ends higher on hopes of trade war de-escalation

Wall Street ends higher on hopes of trade war de-escalation

By Stephen Culp

Wed April 23, 2025 4:17 PM  

The indexes, still feeling profound relief from yesterday’s dual hints that Trump would not try to fire Powell and Bessent stating, today in even stronger terms, that there would likely be easing in the China tariff war, had all the markets way up in the morning, the Dow reaching a whopping +1400 by 10:30 a.m. but then steadily declining throughout the rest of the session.  Still, there were healthy 3-digit gains all-around by close, no doubt also helped by a continuing healthy Q1 with 110 companies now reporting with 75% beating estimates.  

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Wall Street ends higher on earnings, hopes of easing tariff tensions

Wall Street ends higher on earnings, hopes of easing tariff tensions

By Stephen Culp

Tue April 22, 2025 4:56 PM

Today went precisely the opposite of yesterday and all it took was the slightest hint from the White House that Trump did not intend to try to fire Powell and another slight hint from Bessent that there may be a de-escalation in tensions with China. That combo sent the markets soaring and even wiping out all of yesterday’s huge losses, though just barely so, but not even touching the big losses from last week, Tuesday thru Thursday. Also boosting the market is Q1 picking up with 82 companies reporting and 73% beating forecasts.  

Monday, April 21, 2025

US stocks, dollar slide; Trump's attacks on Fed chair fuel anxiety

US stocks, dollar slide; Trump's attacks on Fed chair fuel anxiety

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Mon April 21, 2025 5:27 PM

At least today’s fiasco did not lead to another round of 4-digit losses, though it came close. And though Trump began his attacks against Fed Chair Powell last week, today Trump doubled down quite a bit more than usual by suggesting that he could replace Powell (which he cannot) and that lower interest rates were critical for saving the economy. This double whammy sent the markets tumbling and increased fear and uncertainty substantially with these real threats to the future independence of the Fed, which has always been the stabilizing rod for the economy, may be in question.  

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Wall Street choppy as Eli Lilly jumps, UnitedHealth plummets

Wall Street choppy as Eli Lilly jumps, UnitedHealth plummets

By Noel Randewich and Lisa Pauline Mattackal

Thu April 17, 2025 4:33 PM

Considering how news and sentiment changes hour by hour and given the holiday weekend, there was a general “playing it safe” sell off today due to hesitancy to stay in the market over the long holiday weekend. The S&P and Nasdaq swayed back and forth between red and black, the S&P even having a healthy gain of about 50 points by 3 p.m., even though the Dow remained solidly in the red all day. In a way that’s good though since the Dow does better when things are risky so this might mean investors are becoming less risk-averse overall.  

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Wall Street ends sharply lower; Nvidia drops, Powell says growth appears to be slowing

Wall Street ends sharply lower; Nvidia drops, Powell says growth appears to be slowing

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Wed April 16, 2025 4:30 PM

The market opened down all around but only modestly so due to the announcement yesterday that there would be new curbs on chip exports to China. But the real one-two punch came about 1:30 p.m. which is when Powell must have announced that more inflation and slower growth were likely due to the tariffs and the double whammy of Nvidia saying it would be taking steep charges to the tune of $5.5 billion on its AI chips.  

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Wall Street ends down slightly; tariff uncertainty keeps investors on edge

Wall Street ends down slightly; tariff uncertainty keeps investors on edge

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Tue April 15, 2025 6:36 PM

It was another seesaw day with all the indexes up in the morning, the Dow up over 270 points, before starting a slow descent less than an hour in and reaching breakeven at 1 pm before closing down, the Dow off 155, the Nasdaq and S&P ending almost at a wash. This activity might best be explained by today’s expert, “Earnings have been pretty good, but this is a market that’s just beset by tariff and trade uncertainty and those are really the only catalysts that matter at this point.”  

Monday, April 14, 2025

Wall Street ends higher with Apple shares as investors assess tariff exemptions

Wall Street ends higher with Apple shares as investors assess tariff exemptions

By Caroline Valetkevitch

Mon April 14, 2025 6:31 PM

It was another seesaw day with the indexes way up in the morning, the Dow up some 550 points by 11 a.m. when suddenly all three indexes came crashing down until noon, the Dow losing all its gains plus 50 in the red, then all three rising again dramatically until 3 pm, the Dow again gaining more than 600 before falling again in the final ¼ hour to close up 312. That’s one rollercoaster! It was all a combo of the elation from Friday of electronics being momentarily exempted from the tariffs to the continued uncertainties about the rest of the tariffs. For today anyway, what’s good for Apple is good for the market and the exemption was very good for Apple as well as Dell and HP, all of which rose between 2 and 4%.  

Friday, April 11, 2025

Wall St ends whipsaw week sharply higher as Fed comments soothe market

Wall St ends whipsaw week sharply higher as Fed comments soothe market

By Stephen Culp

Fri April 11, 2025 6:05 PM

The good news is that after all three indexes whipsawed around break-even during the morning, the Dow down some 350 by 11:30, then all three soared for the rest of the day, albeit not as radically as Wednesday but still quite substantially. The trigger was likely a combo of positive Q1 reporting from JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo as well as Fed comments that they were prepared to protect financial markets and hold stagflation in check and that the economy was not entering high inflation and low growth. Then there was the bad news.