Wall Street advances on trade hopes, data shows investor pessimism

Wall Street advances on trade hopes, data shows investor pessimism

By Sinéad 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

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.  

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 Sinéad 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

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 Sinéad 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.”

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

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

By Sinéad 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. 

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. 

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.  

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.  

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

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

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%.  

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.