Live Nasdaq Composite: Markets Walk Tightrope Ahead of Tech Earnings, Fed Decision
Quick Read
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Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), and Microsoft (MSFT) report earnings after the bell today, with OpenAI’s miss on internal growth targets triggering sector-wide weakness in AI-related stocks. AMD stock price target raised to $375, and SoFi cleared revenue expectations at $1.09B while adding 1.1 million new members to reach 14.7 million.
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The Fed’s rate decision and Powell’s testimony arrive today alongside Big Tech earnings reports, while uncertainty over Kevin Warsh’s nomination and crude oil spikes above $115 a barrel add pressure to the Nasdaq, which is tracking a 12.8% monthly gain.
Live Updates
Uber Deal
Uber Technologies (Nasdaq: UBER) and Expedia Group (Nasdaq: EXPE) have teamed up to bring hotel bookings directly into the Uber app, giving users access to more than 700,000 properties across Expedia’s global portfolio, no separate app required.
Uber stock is down fractionally while Expedia is up 2.3%.
Business Spending Up
March delivered a convincing verdict on the state of business investment, with core capital goods orders jumping 3.3%, the biggest monthly surge since 2020, building on a revised 1.6% gain in February. The read signals that corporate spending conviction remains strong despite the uncertain macro environment.
Durable goods orders added 0.8% on the month, with the advance spread broadly across communications equipment, electrical hardware, vehicles, and military aircraft, a healthy sign that demand isn’t concentrated in any single pocket of the economy.
Shipments data, which plugs directly into GDP calculations, reinforced the upbeat tone, climbing 0.5% on an overall basis and stepping up to 1.2% when the volatile aircraft component is set aside.
This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.
Tech’s most consequential day of the earnings season arrived Wednesday with the Nasdaq Composite meandering between positive and negative territory as traders opted for restraint over risk ahead of a session loaded with potential flashpoints. If the index can hold its ground, it’s looking at a 12.8% gain for the month of April, a remarkable run that now hinges on what the Fed and Big Tech have to say before the closing bell.
On the macro side, oil is adding to the unease. Brent briefly topped $115 a barrel and WTI pushed above $103 on fears of prolonged shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, while the UAE’s unexpected departure from OPEC injected fresh volatility into energy markets.
Jerome Powell takes center stage this afternoon, with the Fed’s rate decision and accompanying policy statement set to be dissected line by line. Any hint of a shift in the rate path, in either direction, will land hard on a tech-heavy index that remains sensitive to the cost of capital. Adding a further wrinkle, the Senate Banking Committee is expected to advance Kevin Warsh’s nomination to succeed Powell when his term expires May 15, injecting renewed uncertainty.
Here’s a look at where things stand as of morning trading:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 48,926
Nasdaq Composite: 24,704 Up 0.17%
S&P 500: 7,141 Up 0.04%
Market Movers
Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOGL), Meta Platforms (Nasdaq; META) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) all report after the bell, and the pressure is real. OpenAI is casting a long shadow over the sector after reports surfaced that the AI bellwether has come up short of its own internal growth targets, a development that sent AI-adjacent names sliding on Tuesday. The relationship between OpenAI and the broader tech ecosystem is also in flux, with Amazon confirming that OpenAI’s models will be accessible via AWS just a day after the company restructured its partnership with Microsoft.
Susquehanna’s Christopher Rolland raised his price target on AMD from $300 to $375, holding his Positive rating on the stock. SoFi posted a clean quarter, clearing the revenue bar with $1.09B against a $1.05B consensus while adding 1.1 million new members to bring its total to 14.7 million.
Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
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