The Dow and Nasdaq finished with their best days since late March
Stocks extended their midday gains to finish the day firmly higher, with the Dow closing up 344 points for its best single-session gain since March 24. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 turned in sizable wins as well -- snapping their three-day losing streaks in the process -- the former also posting its best gain since March 18. It was a busy day for investors, with the unofficial start to earnings season coupled with some hotter-than-expected inflation data. Despite this, sentiment on Wall Street, for a day at least, waxed optimistic on hopes that inflation has peaked, and bond yields are cooling off in response.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- Checking in with Goldman Sachs ahead of tomorrow's earnings.
- Why Delta Airlines stock surged today.
- Plus, a flexible options strategy; SRRA snags multi-year highs; and PYPL moves lower.
The Dow Jones Average (DJI - 34,564.59) rose 344.2 points, or 1% for the day. Boeing (BA) led the gainers with a 3.7% rise, while JPMorgan Chase (JPM) dropped to the bottom of the index with a 3.2% loss.
The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 4,446.59) added 49.1 points, or 1.1%, for the day, while the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 13,643.59) rose 272 points, or 2% in today's session.
Lastly, the Cboe Market Volatility Index (VIX - 21.73) lost 2.5 points, or 10.3% for the day.
5 Things To Know Today
- With gas prices in focus lately, here's a look at how much gas has cost every year since 1978. (CNBC)
- U.S. President Biden announced another $800 million in military aid to Ukraine. (MarketWatch)
- What to know about the iron butterfly options strategy.
- Billion-dollar buyout sends biotech name soaring.
- C-suite shake-up sinks PayPal stock.
Gold Prices Nab Five Straight
Oil prices rose for the day, buoyed by the prospects of Russia shedding more of its strategic reserves amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. May-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $3.65, or 3.6%, to settle at $104.25 a barrel.
Gold prices rose for the fifth straight day, amid wholesale goods data. June-dated gold added $8.60, or 0.4%, to settle at $1,984.70 an ounce -- extending yesterday's one-month high.