By BlogHear News Desk – May 16, 2025
Wall Street delivered a mixed performance on Thursday, with investors digesting a series of major earnings reports and economic indicators that painted a varied picture of the market’s near-term direction.
The S&P 500 rose by 0.3%, extending its winning streak to four sessions, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.7%, snapping a two-day losing run. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.2%, ending a six-day rally that had been driven largely by tech-sector optimism.
Earnings & Economic Signals Steer Market
Recent market gains have been buoyed by a calming of global trade tensions and reassuring U.S. economic data. Thursday’s reports showed April retail sales and weekly jobless claims largely met analyst expectations, while a key measure of wholesale inflation unexpectedly declined, offering hope that pricing pressures may be easing.
Despite the broader positive trend, mega-cap tech stocks pulled back. Amazon (AMZN) and Meta Platforms (META) each slid over 2%, with Meta taking a late hit following a Wall Street Journal report suggesting delays in the launch of a highly anticipated AI model. Other tech giants like Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA), Nvidia (NVDA), and Alphabet (GOOG) also closed lower. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT) and Broadcom (AVGO) eked out modest gains.
Corporate Highlights
Shares of Walmart (WMT) dropped 0.5% after initially falling nearly 5%. While the retail behemoth beat quarterly profit estimates, revenue missed forecasts, and its full-year guidance remained unchanged.
In a more dramatic downturn, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) plunged 11% after it was revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the company for potential criminal Medicare fraud. The health insurer also faces internal upheaval following its CEO’s departure and a suspension of full-year guidance. UNH shares are now at their lowest level in five years.
On the upside, Cisco (CSCO) surged 5%, leading Dow gainers after topping expectations on both revenue and earnings. Deere & Company (DE) climbed 4% to a record high, buoyed by strong quarterly results.
Meanwhile, Alibaba (BABA) tumbled 7.5% following disappointing earnings, signaling continued challenges in China’s e-commerce sector.
Bond Yields, Commodities, and Crypto
Bond markets saw some relief as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield dipped to 4.43% from 4.53%, easing borrowing costs after reaching a near three-month high the previous day.
The U.S. dollar index slipped 0.2% to 100.83, while gold futures rebounded 1.7% to $3,245 per ounce as demand for safe-haven assets returned.
Oil prices fell, with WTI crude down 2.3% to $61.70 per barrel, continuing a volatile streak for energy markets.
In cryptocurrency, Bitcoin traded around $103,500, up from a session low of $101,400, sustaining its momentum after breaking back above $100,000 last week.
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