S&P 500 futures slip after index posts third consecutive winning day: Live updates

The S&P 500 ticked higher on Thursday, putting its three-day winning streak at risk. The benchmark has been on a tear this week after the Trump administration and China hammered out a temporary suspension of their tit-for-tat tariff dispute.

The broad market index added 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.07%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 121 points, or 0.2%.

Confidence in the immediate outlook for stocks has strengthened in the wake of last weekend’s talks between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese officials that appeared to stave off a short-term decline in economic activity and a ratcheting up in inflation. The enthusiasm mostly continued Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing higher.

“This is a market that has shifted to cautious optimism, i.e., market sentiment has shifted toward measured optimism, as recession fears begin to recede and equity markets demonstrate underlying strength. However, a number of macro and micro risks continue to form a ‘wall of worry’ that investors must navigate,” said Joe Cusick, senior vice president and portfolio specialist at Calamos Investments. “The next phase will hinge on whether the current rally can broaden and sustain through the summer months, or whether it gives way to a healthy consolidation or correction.”

Tech giants are putting up a strong showing week to date: Nvidia and Tesla are both up more than 14% and 13%, while Meta Platforms has added 10% in the period. Amazon and Alphabet are up more than 7% and 6% and 8%, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite is higher by 6.% this week, trailed by the S&P 500, ahead 3.9%, and the Dow, up 1.7%.

Shares of Foot Locker surged 84% after the company announced that it would merge with Dick’s Sporting Goods for $2.4 billion. UnitedHealth slid 14% after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar, that the Justice Department is probing the insurer. A UnitedHealth spokesman later told CNBC that the insurer has not been notified by the DOJ of the “supposed” investigation reported.

Traders also assessed the state of the economy on Thursday, with an unexpected decline in wholesale prices last month. The producer price index for April declined 0.5% month-over-month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Dow Jones forecast PPI would increase 0.3% on the month. Retail sales increased 0.1% in April, which matched consensus estimates, while industrial production numbers for April decreased slightly more than expected.

See the stocks moving midday

These are some of the stocks moving the most midday:

• Dick’s Sporting Goods — The sporting goods retailer tumbled 14% on the announcement that it would buy rival Foot Locker for $2.4 billion, in a deal expected to close in the second half of this year. Shares of Foot Locker rallied 85% on the news.
• UnitedHealth — The health insurer plunged 15%, hitting an intraday low not seen in more than five years. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Wednesday that the company is under Justice Department investigation for potential Medicare fraud.
• Coinbase — Shares fell more than 4% after the digital currency platform said hackers bribed staff to steal customer data for use in social engineering attacks. The hackers are now demanding $20 million in ransom.

See the full list here.

— Alex Harring

Retail stocks head for best week since 2023

Retail stocks in the S&P 500 are poised to notch their best weekly performance since late 2023.

The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) has rallied more than 6% this week. If that holds through Friday’s close, it would mark the fund’s biggest week gain since November 2023, when the ETF jumped more than 7% in one week.

The ETF is also on pace to notch its fifth positive week of the last six.

Foot Locker led the way, skyrocketing more than 98% this week following the acquisition news. Boot Barn followed, climbing more than 33% as investors analyzed the Western clothing retailer’s earnings report.

Despite the gain, the fund is still down more than 5% on the year.

— Alex Harring, Nick Wells

Wolfe Research upgrades Pinterest to outperform rating

Wolfe Research upgraded social media stock Pinterest to an outperform rating from peer perform in a Thursday note, citing easing tariff tensions between the U.S. and China.

Analyst Shweta Khajuria’s price target of $40 is approximately 22% higher than where shares of Pinterest closed on Wednesday. Pinterest stock has rallied 13% this year.

Besides the change in macro backdrop, Khajuria also pointed to this “highly reasonable” valuation as a catalyst. Meanwhile, Pinterest’s performance products are also creating a “compounding revenue opportunity,” she wrote.

“We expect continued outperformance on relative product cycle and valuation disconnect vs. other sub-scale peers,” Khajuria added.

— Lisa Kailai Han

U.S. recession is still on the table, Jamie Dimon says

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told Bloomberg Television on Thursday that the U.S. is still at risk of a recession.

“If there’s a recession, I don’t know how big it will be or how long it will last. Hopefully we’ll avoid it, but I wouldn’t take it off the table at this point,” Dimon said.

Dimon’s comments come less than a week after the U.S. and China announced that they were sharply reducing tariffs on one another for 90 days. Dimon called the pause “the right thing to do” but cautioned that even the remaining tariffs could cause problems.

“Even at this level, you see people holding back on investment and thinking through what they want to do,” Dimon said.

— Jesse Pound

The bond market is at odds with optimism seen in equities, economist says

Fixed income investors are seeing a more concerning outlook than what the stock market is implying as Treasury yields remain stubbornly high, according to RSM chief economist Joseph Brusuelas.

“Given the risks to the economy—a recession is still a coin flip this year—and recovery in the equity markets, bond yields should be falling,” Brusuelas wrote in a Thursday note. “They are not, and that is because fixed-income investors are sniffing out the logic of economic populism amid a move toward trade protectionism, which strongly implies higher inflation and rising long-term yields.”

“Should Congress approve a large tax cut that is not paid for, don’t be surprised if the bond market pushes yields back toward mid-April highs, which captured the pushback against the trade conflict,” he added.

— Brian Evans

Stocks open lower

Stocks opened lower on Thursday as Wall Street’s most recent rally took a breather.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 186 points, or 0.4%.

— Brian Evans

Retail sales edge higher, jobless claims unchanged

Retail sales rose slightly in April as consumers began preparing for potential inflation from President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Advance estimates showed a gain of 0.1%, down sharply from the 1.7% increase in March though in line with the Dow Jones consensus estimate. Ex-auto sales also rose 0.1%, short of the 0.3% estimate. Sales rose 5.2% from a year ago, according to the figures which are adjusted for seasonality but not inflation.

Restaurants and bars saw a 1.2% increase and building materials and garden centers reported a 0.8% gain. Sporting goods sales were off 2.5% while miscellaneous retailers slipped 2.1%.

In other economic news, initial jobless claims were unchanged at 229,000 for the week ending May 10, near the forecast for 226,000.

Also, the Empire State Manufacturing index, which gauges activity around the New York area, fell further to -9.2, slightly below the -9.0 estimate. The Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index rose sharply in May but was still negative at -4.0. The previous reading was -26.4; the estimate was for -10.5. The two measures look at the difference between companies reporting expansion against contraction.

—Jeff Cox

Wholesale prices unexpectedly fell in April amid slide in services

Wholesale prices unexpectedly declined in April as prices for services fell the most in at least the last 16 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

The producer price index, a measure of final demand prices, declined 0.5% after being unchanged in March. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for an increase of 0.3%.

The BLS said the decline was attributable to a 0.7% decrease in services prices, the steepest in the survey’s history going back to December 2009. Most of the decline came from a 1.6% slide in trade services. Also, margins for machine and vehicle wholesaling fell 6.1%.

Excluding food and energy, core PPI declined 0.4%, also against an estimate for a 0.3% increase.

Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods among the names making moves in the premarket

Check out the stocks making moves before the opening bell on Thursday:

• Walmart – The discount retailer reported better-than-expected earnings, but shares were slightly lower in the premarket. Walmart posted an adjusted profit of 61 cents per share, beating an LSEG estimate of 58 per share. Revenue of $165.61 billion was about in line with the consensus forecast of $165.84 billion.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker – Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods slid nearly 11% after the athletic apparel and goods company agreed to purchase smaller rival Foot Locker for $2.4 billion. Dick’s offered $24 per share of Foot Locker, which implies 86% upside to the stock’s price. Foot Locker shares popped roughly 83% on the news.
• UnitedHealth Group – The health insurer’s shares pulled back more than 6%. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that UnitedHealth is being investigated by the Department of Justice for possible Medicare fraud.

Read here for the full list.

— Sean Conlon

Trump says he doesn’t want Apple building products in India

President Trump on Thursday said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he doesn’t want tech giant building its products in India. Shares of Apple dipped about 1% in premarket trading.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said. “I don’t want you building in India.”

Apple has been ramping up production in India with the aim of making around 25% of global iPhones in the country in the next few years as it looks to reduce reliance on China.

— Yun Li, Arjun Kharpal

Foot Locker stock up more than 80% as Dick’s acquisition officially announced

Shares of Foot Locker surged more than 80% in premarket trading as the retailer and Dick’s Sporting Goods announced a takeover deal. The announcement confirms a previous report by the Wall Street Journal.

The acquisition will involve Dick’s paying $24 per share in cash for the smaller company, the companies said. Foot Locker shareholders can also elect to receive stock instead of cash.

Shares of Foot Locker closed at $12.87 per share on Wednesday, down roughly 41% year to date.

Shares of Dick’s were down more than 8% in premarket trading.

— Jesse Pound

Oil prices tumble after Trump raises hope of Iran nuke deal

Crude oil futures fell more than 3% on Thursday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is holding serious negotiations with Iran that could result in a nuclear deal.

“We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said in Doha, Qatar.

U.S. crude oil was down $2.24, or 3.55%, at $60.91 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent fell $2.18, or 3.3%, to $63.91 per barrel.

A top advisor to Iran’s supreme leader told NBC News Tuesday that the OPEC producer was ready to sign a nuclear deal with certain conditions.

— Spencer Kimball

Walmart rises on earnings beat

Walmart reported better-than-expected earnings, sending shares higher by more than 2% in the premarket.

The company posted an adjusted profit of 61 cents per share, beating an LSEG estimate of 58 per share. Revenue of $165.61 billion was about in line with the consensus forecast of $165.84 billion.

But CFO John David Rainey warned that tariffs are still too high, even after the U.S. and China agreed to lower duties for 90 days.

“We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb,” he said. “It’s more than any supplier can absorb. And so I’m concerned that consumer is going to start seeing higher prices. You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June.”

— Fred Imbert

Jefferies upgrades Petrobas to buy rating on new cost-cutting measures

Jefferies upgraded shares of Petrobas to a buy rating from hold in a Thursday note. Analyst Alejandro Anibal Demichelis’ price target of $15.30 is approximately 26% above the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $12.15.

Shares of Petrobas have slipped nearly 6% this year and have plunged 28% over the past 12 months, opening up an attractive entry point for investors, Demichelis wrote.

“PBR shares are down 28% LTM, materially lagging peers and the Brazilian index, and now trade on 3.4x EV/DACF 2026E, a c25% discount to global peers. We see this as an undemanding valuation, relative to historical multiples, and see room for PBR to re-rate near term as the more discipline capital allocation push removes market concerns,” the analyst said.

Meanwhile, new cost-cutting efforts have significantly improved the company’s risk/reward ratio. In a recent conference call, Petrobas’ CEO confirmed that, with current oil prices in mind, the company will focus more towards cost-cutting, project simplification and capital discipline measures.

“PBR mgmt’s aim to cut costs to weather lower oil prices and base dividend commitment positively skews the risk/reward for the stock, in our view,” Demichelis added. “In addition, the ramp up of new platforms should offer some upside to PBR’s FY25 output growth target of 5%.”

— Lisa Kailai Han

Cisco Systems rises after earnings beat

Cisco Systems was the best performer in the S&P 500 in the premarket, rising nearly 4% after the tech company reported fiscal third-quarter results that beat expectations.

The company earned an adjusted 96 cents per share on revenue of $14.15 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG expected a profit of 92 cents per share on revenue of $14.08 billion.

— Fred Imbert

UnitedHealth Group tumbles after WSJ reports the insurer is facing a probe from the Justice Department

Shares of UnitedHealth Group slid Wednesday night after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar, that the Justice Department is investigating the insurer.

The people told the Journal that the probe centers on UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage business practices.

“We have not been notified by the Department of Justice of the supposed criminal investigation reported,” a UnitedHealth spokesman later told CNBC. “We stand by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.”

Shares of UnitedHealth were last down 8%, dragging down Dow futures.

–Darla Mercado, Bertha Coombs

Wholesale inflation reading due on Thursday

Traders are looking ahead to the producer price index, a measure of wholesale prices, due on Thursday morning.

Economists polled by Dow Jones anticipate the April’s producer price index grew by 0.3% from the prior month. They also estimate that the core reading, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.3% in the period.

April’s consumer price index helped lift investors’ sentiment this week. Headline CPI climbed 0.2% for the month, bringing the 12-month inflation rate to 2.3%. The monthly result was in line with Dow Jones consensus estimates, while the 12-month reading came in slightly below the forecast for 2.4%.

–Darla Mercado

Stocks making the biggest moves in extended trading

Several stocks made major moves in after-hours action on Wednesday evening.

Foot Locker – Shares of the sports apparel retailer soared 67%. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Dick’s Sporting Goods is closing in on a deal to buy the company for roughly $2.3 billion or about $24 per share. Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods slid about 6%.

Cisco Systems – Shares of the networking tech company jumped 2% after fiscal third-quarter results topped estimates. Cisco posted adjusted earnings of 96 cents per share on revenue of $14.15 billion, while analysts polled by LSEG sought 92 cents per share on revenue of $14.08 billion. Cisco’s finance chief Scott Herren will also retire in July.

CoreWeave – The artificial intelligence infrastructure company saw shares fall about 6%. CoreWeave posted a loss of $1.49 per share, but beat the Street’s estimates on first-quarter revenue. Revenue surged 420% in the quarter on a year-over-year basis. It’s CoreWeave’s first quarterly report since it debuted on the public markets.

Read more about after-hours movers here.

–Darla Mercado

Stock futures open little changed on Wednesday evening

Futures traded near the flatline Wednesday night.

S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1%, as did Nasdaq 100 futures. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 38 points, or roughly 0.1%.

—Darla Mercado