The Dow shed 527 points before tomorrow's holiday
The S&P 500 saved itself from today's Fed fatigue but finished well off session highs, as investor optimism dulled amid interest rate and tariff uncertainty. The Dow and Nasdaq were not as fortunate, logging their third-straight loss, the former shedding 527 points as UnitedHealth Group (UNH) weighed and the latter suffering from more tech malaise. On a weekly basis, all three major indexes marked their third loss in the last four.
Markets will be closed tomorrow to observe the Good Friday holiday, but traders are still monitoring Washington, D.C. after President Trump said he expects to reach trade deals with China and the European Union (EU). The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) settled just below 30, and fell more than 20% this week.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- Key takeaways from Taiwan Semiconductor's earnings.
- This grocery store giant boasts ample technical support.
- Plus, Hertz stock surging; trial results boost LLY; and 3 indicators for your toolbox.
5 Things to Know Today
- President Trump said he would have “very little problem” making a deal with the EU to reduce tariffs after meeting Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Wall Street Journal)
- A U.S. District Judge found Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the markets for publisher ad servers, as well as the market for ad exchanges. (CNBC)
- Activist investor expands stake in car rental giant.
- Eli Lilly stock surged following strong drug trial data.
- Diving into Schaeffer's top 3 options indicators.
Gold, Oil Prices Secure Healthy Weekly Wins
Oil prices settled at their highest level since April 3 on Thursday, amid supply concerns in response to U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports. May-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.21, or 3.5%, to finish at $64.68 per barrel. Black gold also saw its first weekly win in three, stacking up a 5.2% gain.
Gold prices pivoted lower from a record high today as investors cashed in their recent gains. A weaker greenback coupled with U.S.-China trade tensions kept losses in check, however. June-dated gold fell 0.5% to settle at $3,326.51 after hitting a new all-time peak of $3,357.40 earlier. For the week, the yellow metal gained roughly 3%.