Stocks Secure April Wins Despite Sour Ending

Gold prices fell for the fourth-straight day

Deputy Editor
Apr 30, 2021 at 4:38 PM
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The Dow finished 185 points lower today despite a relatively upbeat batch of corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell as well, both sinking deeper into the red in the second half of the day. For the week, all three indexes finished in the red. For the month, however, all three benchmarks managed monthly gains, with the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq in particular carving out a path of fresh record highs.

Aside from earnings, investors are also analyzing a slew of economic data. The March PCE price index added 0.5% for the month and 2.3% year-over-year, while the core PCE rose in both respects. Furthermore, March spending surged to a better-than-expected 4.2%, while personal incomes jumped 21.1%. 

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

  • Amazon.com's big day also featured bull notes
  • This chip stock was a big post-earnings winner today.
  • Plus, MGPI's small-cap potential; TWTR's awful day; and Skyworks' trimmed forecast.  

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI - 33,874.85) lost 185.5 points, or 0.5%, for the day and 0.5% for the week, but gained 2.7% for the month. Amgen (AMGN) topped the list of gainers today with a 2.1% win, while Chevron (CVX) landed at the bottom after dropping 3.6%. 

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 4,181.17) dropped on 30.3 points, or 0.7%, for the day, and was marginally lower for the week. It did add 5.2% for the month, though. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 13,962.68) fell 119.9 points, or 0.8%, for the day. It shed 0.4% for the week while tacking on 5.4% for the month.

Lastly, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX - 18.61) picked up 1 point, or 5.7% for the day, and 7.2% for both the week. It shed 4.1% for the month.

Closing Indexes Summary April 30

NYSE and Nasdaq Stats April 30

  1. This aspect of outperforming e-commerce giant Amazon is lagging behind(MarketWatch)
  2. As Covid-19 cases surge, the U.S. will impose travel restrictions on India starting May 4. (CNBC)
  3. Is this small cap stock still a buy?
  4. Options traders blitzed Twitter stock after earnings. 
  5. The chip name tumbling from record highs

Earnings April 30

Unusual Options Activity April 30

Oil, Gold Finish With Monthly Gains

Oil prices dipped lower today, with June-dated crude falling $1.43, or 2.2%, to settle at $63.58 a barrel. However, for the week, the June contract rose 2.3%, adding 7.5% for the month as data continued to point toward economic growth. 

Gold futures finished lower for their fourth-straight session, as June-dated gold fell 60 cents, or 0.03%, to settle at $1,767.70 an ounce. For the week, the front-month contract dipped 0.6%, however, it also rose about 3% for the month for the first monthly climb of the year so far.

 

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