UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) will announce its first-quarter report before the open tomorrow, April 17. Ahead of the event, Wall Street anticipates earnings of $7.27 per share, a 5.2% increase from the same quarter a year ago, on revenue of $111.01 billion. 

UNH has been rallying since its late-February bear gap, hitting a nearly four-month high of $606.36 this past Friday. Year-to-date, the equity is up 16.8% despite broad-market pressures, and sits above all moving averages between the 20- and 320-day trendlines, including the 180-day, which kept gains in check in the beginning of the year.

UnitedHealth stock has a split history of earnings moves, closing higher after four of the last eight quarters. Over these past two years, UNH averaged a 5.6% next-day swing, regardless of direction, which is slightly higher than the 5% move the options pits are pricing in this time around. 

It's worth noting that all 22 analysts in coverage carry a "buy" or better rating already, so upgrades in the event of a positive post-earnings move are unlikely. 

Stocks are mixed this afternoon, as Nvidia's (NVDA) $5.5 billion charge tied to U.S. chip export restrictions continues to weigh on the tech sector. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) is down a whopping 285 points, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is also in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) has turned marginally higher, however, trimming earlier losses after better-than-expected retail sales data.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s “fear gauge” -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- is set to snap a three-day skid, as global trade tensions and tariff uncertainty keep investors on edge.

Continue reading for more on today's market, including: 

• Lyft's massive acquisition expands its reach across Europe.
• United Airlines stock looks to extend win streak after earnings.
• Plus, JBHT options spike after earnings; MP surges on mineral probe; and another tumbling chip stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc (NASDAQ:JBHT) is seeing a surge in options volume after earnings, despite low absolute activity. So far, 1,161 calls and 2,506 puts have already crossed the tape -- 10 times the average intraday amount -- with positions being opened at the April 130 put. J.B. Hunt stock is pulling back despite topping first-quarter estimates, as the company reported a 1% year-over-year drop in both revenue and operating income. JBHT is down 7.6% to trade at $124.86 at last check, extending its year-over-year deficit to 29.3% and trading at its lowest level since November 2020.

MP Materials Corp (NYSE:MP) stock is one of the top performers on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, last seen up 14% to trade at $28.58. The rally follows an executive order from President Trump launching a review of national security risks tied to imported critical minerals -- a move aimed at countering China’s dominance in the supply chain. The review will cover rare earths, cobalt, nickel, uranium, and more, potentially paving the way for new tariffs and domestic stockpiling. MP is now up 84.6% in 2025.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) is one of the worst-performing IXIC stocks this afternoon, last seen 6.1% lower at $89.48. The broader chip sector is under pressure after Nvidia’s warning, and AMD added to the gloom by disclosing new export restrictions on its MI308 products may result in an $800 million hit. AMD is down 25.7% this year amid ongoing tariff concerns.

Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) are up 3.1% at $69.03, after the company's better-than-expected first-quarter earnings results. The airliner added that forward bookings have been stable, and issued two full-year outlooks, calling the economy "impossible to predict."

UAL is on track for its fourth-straight win, though it has fallen quite a ways from its Jan. 22 record high of $116 amid tariff pressures. The 20-day moving average, which the stock is contending with today, has been guiding it lower since February. Year to date, the equity is down roughly 30%. 

Over in the options pits, 28,000 calls and 24,000 puts have been exchanged -- quadruple the overall volume typically seen at this point. Expiring tomorrow, the April 70 call is the most popular contract, followed by the 68 call in that series, with new positions being opened at the latter. 

Options look like a good way to go when weighing in on UAL's next move. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) of 95 out of 100 means it has consistently outperformed options traders' volatility expectations over the past year. 

Markets are closed at the end of the week to observe Good Friday, with Easter happening over the weekend. Now is a good time to see how stocks usually behave around the holiday. We will also look at what market performance leading up to Easter means for the rest of the year, and dig into the best and worst stocks to own the week after.

Days Surrounding Easter 

For short-term traders who follow seasonal patterns, Easter gives a well-defined setup. Historically, Holy Thursday has been a bullish day for stocks. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) has been positive 73% of the time, with an average gain of 0.49%. For comparison, the typical day averages a return of 0.04%, with 54% of the returns positive.

That momentum, however, hasn’t carried through the weekend. The Monday after Easter has been weak, averaging a slight loss over the past 30 years, with fewer than half of the returns positive. Given this pattern, a potential one-day trade would be to buy near the market close on Wednesday and sell near the close on Thursday.

Easter and the Rest of the Year 

Again, we see a very clear pattern over the past 30 years. The momentum generated from the beginning of the year until Easter has tended to continue throughout the rest of the year. With the SPX down about 7.5% so far in 2025, this is a bad sign.

The table below shows when the index has been down through Easter Sunday, it has averaged a slight loss for the rest of the year, with a median return of -4%. Only 40% of the returns were positive. Compare that to when the SPX has been up on the year through the holiday. In that case, it averaged a return of 11.4% for the rest of the year, with 90% of the returns positive.

Stocks the Week After Easter 

Looking at SPX stocks over the past 10 years, the table below shows stocks that outperformed in the week following Easter. Some large cap tech companies tend to perform well next week, with Amazon.com (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), Apple (AAPL), and Alphabet (GOOGL) all making the cut. 

This next list of SPX stocks underperformed in the week after Easter. Energy companies are prominent, and two of the largest telecom companies, Verizon Communications (VZ) and AT&T (T), also made the list.

While stocks have righted themselves in the last week, there is still plenty of uncertainty to go around. With this in mind, it's worth noting that discount retailers were some of the only winners when everything fell apart. Since we're not quite out of the woods yet, here are some potentially recession-proof stocks to keep an eye on. 

Dollar Tree Inc (NASDAQ:DLTR) staged an extended bounce at the start of the tariff updates last month, though a point of pressure at the $80 level kept a cap on gains. Today, DLTR was last seen 0.2% lower at $73.54. Year-to-date, the equity is currently down 1.6%, though that's still a better performance than the S&P 500 Index (SPX). 

Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ:COST) was up 0.2% at $980.92 at last glance today, with overhead pressure lingering at $1,000. Just last week, the company announced March net sales results of $25.51 billion, causing Loop Capital to point to the retailer as a potential winner should inflation rise. Since the start of the year, COST is outperforming with a 7.2% gain. 

Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) was last seen up 0.4% at $95.11. On the charts, the $95 region provided pressure for most of December, but the blue-chip retailer hit a record high of $105.30 after breaking past it in mid-February. On track for its fifth-straight daily gain, WMT is up 5.2% year-to-date. 

Aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) will announce first-quarter results before the open on Tuesday, April 22. Analysts anticipate quarterly profits of $6.42 per share and revenue of $17.76 billion, or year-over-year growth of about 1.4% and 3.3%, respectively.

LMT was last seen down 0.4% to trade at 473.46, on track to snap a five-day win streak. Though the security is fresh off its best weekly performance since July, the $480 region is once again acting as a ceiling after capping rallies in early and late March. The 120-day moving is also moving in as resistance, and over the last six months, the shares shed nearly 22%.

Lockheed Martin stock doesn't have the best post-earnings track record. The security closed lower after five of its last eight quarterly reports, including back-to-back losses of 9.2% and 6.1% in January and October, respectively. Over the last two year, the shares averaged a 3.9% next-day swing, regardless of direction, which is lower than the 5.2% move the options pits are pricing in this time around. 

Options traders lean firmly bullish toward LMT, and a negative post-earnings reaction could lead to an unwinding of optimism. This is per the stock's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 3.81 over at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which ranks higher than 87% of readings from the past year.

It's worth noting the stock has a history of exceeding volatility expectations, making it a solid pick for premium buyers. Its Schaeffer’s Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at 95 out of 100, indicating the equity has consistently delivered bigger moves than options traders predicted.

All three major indexes are eyeing a third-straight win as earnings remain in focus, with Bank of America (BAC) surging on a strong first-quarter report, while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is brushing off a quarterly beat. Uncertainty lingers, however, as investors brace for more earnings and potential fallout from President Donald Trump’s evolving tariff policy.

Reversing pre-market losses, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) was last seen up 155 points, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are higher as well. Meanwhile, Wall Street’s "fear gauge" -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- is now pacing for its fourth loss in five session as it cools off from last week’s spike.

Continue reading for more on today's market, including: 

• 2 upbeat bank earnings to unpack.
• Chemical stock scores rare double upgrade.
• Plus, HPE options pop on new stake; RKLB soars after hypersonic win; and ALGM sinks as buyer walks.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (NYSE:HPE) stock is seeing unusually heavy options volume, with more than 29,000 calls and 7,598 puts exchanged so far today -- triple the average intraday amount. New positions are being opened at the most popular contract, the April 15.50 call. HPE was last seen 4.1% higher at $14.87, after Elliott Management took a more than $1.15 billion stake in the technology company. Despite today's pop, the stock is 30% lower in 2025, though it's distancing itself from an April 4 retreat to $11.96 -- its lowest level since September 2022.

Rocket Lab USA Inc (NASDAQ:RKLB) stock is one of the Nasdaq’s top performers today, up 7.7% to trade at $20.61 at last check, after the aerospace firm secured key roles in two hypersonic technology programs backed by the U.S. and U.K. governments. As part of the multi-billion-dollar initiatives, Rocket Lab will offer its HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) launch vehicle, along with design and engineering services. The stock has skyrocketed 482.3% over the last 12 months.

Allegro MicroSystems Inc (NASDAQ:ALGM) stock is sinking this afternoon, last seen down 12.2% at $19.34, after ON Semiconductor (ON) withdrew its buyout bid after hiking its offer to $35.10 per share -- valuing Allegro at roughly $6.9 billion. The tech company rejected the deal, deeming it "inadequate." The shares are now down 9.8% in 2025.