Anna's Markets Recap

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Saturday, 5:12 AM

April 26, 2025

Good morning news friend! Here is a quick recap of what happened in the markets this week. 📰🌟

Economic & Market Overview

After weeks of volatility and trade tension headlines, U.S. markets delivered a decisive rebound.

The S&P 500 rose 4.6%, the Nasdaq Composite surged 6.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.5% for the week ending April 25.

Investors appeared to shift their focus away from tariff risks and economic warnings toward corporate earnings, particularly from the technology sector.

Despite a sharp deterioration in consumer sentiment—falling to its lowest level since mid-2022—and a continued decline in leading economic indicators, markets rallied as strong corporate results created a more optimistic narrative.

Durable goods orders showed surprising strength in March, rising 9.2% and hinting that businesses might have been accelerating purchases ahead of tariff hikes.

Treasury yields eased throughout the week, with the 10-year yield declining to around 4.25%, providing further support to equity valuations, especially for growth stocks.

At the same time, gold prices retreated slightly, losing about 0.65% to close around $3,301 per ounce. The move suggested a shift in investor behavior toward riskier assets, even as underlying macroeconomic uncertainty persisted.

The VIX remained elevated, hovering between 24.8 and 26.8, underscoring that while optimism was returning, caution had not fully disappeared from the market.

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Technology & Growth

Alphabet reported results that beat Wall Street expectations, with strong growth in its core Search and Cloud divisions, and announced a new $70 billion stock buyback authorization.

Tesla, despite missing estimates across revenue and earnings metrics, managed to excite investors during its earnings call by emphasizing forward-looking innovation projects like its Optimus robot and Full Self-Driving plans.

Shares of Tesla soared nearly 18% for the week, a clear sign that investors were willing to reward future potential over short-term financial misses.

The broader tech sector followed suit. Nvidia, Meta, and Broadcom posted double-digit gains, lifted by ongoing enthusiasm around AI development.

Microsoft rose steadily after updating its Azure AI offerings, while Apple benefited from sector momentum ahead of its upcoming earnings release.

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Financial Institutions

Financial stocks participated in the rally but lagged behind the explosive gains seen in technology.

Bank of America led the sector with a 5.5% weekly gain, building on strong earnings momentum. JPMorgan rose 3.7%, while Visa and Mastercard posted smaller advances.

Lower Treasury yields provided some support to the sector, but the potential for future interest rate cuts and slower economic growth continued to complicate the outlook.

Investors appeared to favor banks that had recently delivered strong earnings reports over conglomerates like Berkshire, where valuation concerns had started to creep in.

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Consumer Staples & Healthcare

The healthcare sector delivered a mixed performance. AbbVie reported strong quarterly earnings, driven by surging sales of its immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq, and raised its full-year guidance.

The company’s results helped its stock finish the week up nearly 3%. Eli Lilly also continued to build on recent momentum, posting a 5.3% weekly gain.

However, UnitedHealth Group remained under pressure, falling another 8% as Medicare cost issues weighed on sentiment. No new negative news was released, but the market continued to react to the company's lowered profit guidance issued the prior week.

In consumer staples, Procter & Gamble disappointed investors. Despite a slight earnings beat, weaker-than-expected revenue growth weighed heavily on the stock, which fell by more than 5%.

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Energy & Industrial

Energy stocks posted moderate gains, helped more by the broad rally in risk assets than by commodity price movements.

Exxon Mobil rose 1.6%, ahead of its first-quarter earnings report scheduled for early May. Crude oil prices declined slightly during the week.

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Did you know we also write in-depth deep dives? They are long, packed with insights, and have received rave reviews. If you’re up for a detailed, action-packed read, check them out:

• How Trade Wars are Reshaping the US Treasury Market

• The End of the Easy-Money Era

• The Longevity Race

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️