Thursday’s big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market
Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today. Sign up for free to receive it directly in your inbox. Here’s what CNBC TV’s producers were watching as the S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hit records, and what’s on the radar for the next session. Record-breaking day CNBC’s coverage of the markets restarts at 5 a.m. with Morgan Brennan on “Morning Call.” The S & P 500 closed at a record high on Thursday. It is up 3% in three days. Since the start of April the S & P is up 7.6%. The Nasdaq Composite hit a record high as well. The Nasdaq is up almost 5% in three days. It is up 11.2% in April alone. That’s big. The Nasdaq is up 11 straight days. Mad Money’s Jim Cramer calls this “one of the fastest swings we’ve ever had for stocks.” He said, “The easy money has probably been made” in this run, but he isn’t betting on an immediate turnaround assuming life remains relatively stable. .SPX 5D mountain The S & P 500 in the past five trading days Big Tech and big moves Cramer also called out Microsoft ‘s 4.6% jump on Wednesday, saying, “It was for no reason… and that’s what a rotation is all about.” The stock is up 11% in April, but it’s down 26% from the high. He also said Tesla was up 7.6% on Wednesday, “also for no reason.” Tesla is up 12% in three days. Then there’s Apple , up 3% during the session. He ended the segment by saying, “The bottom line: Some crazy rotations are about to occur. I wouldn’t be surprised if the drugs, retailers and health care stocks were next.” The rest of the big indexes The Russell 2000 is off about 0.8% from a new high. It is up 8.7% in April. The Dow Industrials is off 4% from a high. The blue-chip index is up 4.6% in April. The NYSE Composite is up nearly 4% in April. It’s off 2.75% from the high. .DJI 1M mountain The Dow Industrials in the past month Sector check Real estate, communication services, utilities, materials, tech and consumer discretionary are all within 5% of their highs. The financials sector is off 7.5% from the high. Health care is down 7.6% from the high. Consumer staples is down 8% from the high. Energy is down 11% from the high. Volatility The Cboe Volatility Index , which some investors call “the fear gauge,” is down almost 30% so far in April. It is linked to S & P 500 index options activity 30 days out. Energy The S & P energy sector is down 9% in April. Consumer staples is the only other down sector in April, lower by just 1%. Almost half of the S & P Energy sector is down more than 10% in April: Occidental, APA, Expand Energy, Exxon Mobil, Texas Pacific Land Corporation, Phillips 66, EQT, Chevron, Devon and Coterra. Brent crude futures are down 20% in April. West Texas Intermediate crude futures are down 10% in April. On Wednesday, Iran said it would halt all petrochemical exports “until further notice,” according to Iranian state media. XLE 1M mountain The State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) in the past month Jobless claims live on ‘Squawk Box’ Get the number and instant reaction at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Dow Jones consensus calls for 215,000 claims. Of the individuals who are betting on prediction market Kalshi.com, 32% believe the number will be higher than 215,000. Nineteen percent predict the number will eclipse 225,000. PepsiCo reports on ‘Squawk Box’ PepsiCo shares have gained 5.7% over the past three months. The stock is off 10% from the February high. CEO Ramon Laguarta will be live on ” Squawk on the Street ” in the 10 a.m. hour. PEP 3M mountain PepsiCo shares in the past three months Netflix reports on ‘Closing Bell: Overtime’ at 4 p.m. The streaming giant’s shares have surged 22% in the past three months. Netflix is off 20% from the June 2025 high. So far in April, Netflix is up 12%. Who is bullish on cattle? Live cattle futures have gained about 10% in the last month. Cattle futures have been hitting highs this week. Cattle traders are betting on strong demand from U.S. consumers heading into the summer, and herds reportedly are on the small side. Thanks to CNBC data guru Gina Francolla for being on the ranch beat on Wednesday. Markets shift and headlines fade, but the core principles of building long-term wealth remain constant. Join us for our third CNBC Pro LIVE, where investors of all backgrounds – from financial professionals to everyday individuals – come together to cut through the noise and gain actionable strategies for smarter, more disciplined investing. No matter where you’re starting from, you’ll leave with clearer thinking, stronger strategies. Enter your email here to get a discount code.
