U.S. Markets Slip Amid Tariff Uncertainty and Mixed Earnings

On Thursday, U.S. equity benchmarks gave back much of their earlier gains as investors weighed ongoing tariff uncertainties and a mixed slate of corporate results. With markets closed on Friday for Good Friday, all three major indices are headed for weekly declines, and the Nasdaq Composite is flirting with bear‑market territory (down 20% from its peak).

Thursday's Market Close

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: -527 points (-1.3%)

• S&P 500: +0.2%

• Nasdaq Composite: -0.1%

Corporate Earnings Roundup

• UnitedHealth (UNH): Shares plunged 22% after the insurer cut its annual profit forecast, citing higher‐than‐expected medical costs.

• Eli Lilly (LLY): Jumped 14% on positive Phase 3 trial results for its oral type 2 diabetes drug, orforglipron.

• Blackstone (BX): Rose 0.8% after reporting Q1 profits above expectations, driven by asset sales in its private equity and credit divisions.

• TSMC (TSM): Closed marginally higher despite giving back early gains; first‐quarter net profit jumped 60%, fueled by strong AI chip demand.

• Hertz (HTZ): Extended its rally—up another 56%+ over two sessions—after Pershing Square disclosed a large new stake.

• Alphabet (GOOGL): Fell 1.4% following a court ruling that found Google's ad‑tech business violated antitrust laws.

Trade Talks and Macro Drivers

President Trump reported “big progress” in U.S. negotiations with Japan, the first major partner to discuss tariff adjustments directly in Washington. Europe's Ursula von der Leyen has expressed willingness to give talks a chance, while China remains open to dialogue—provided the U.S. moderates its rhetoric.

To keep track of scheduled economic announcements (including tariff negotiations, CPI data, and central bank decisions), investors can use the Economics Calendar API:Economics Calendar API

Market Movers and Liquidity

For a real‑time view of today's top gainers and losers across U.S. exchanges—use the Market Biggest Gainers API: Market Biggest Gainers API

In addition, traders often look at the Market Most Active API to gauge liquidity and volume dynamics during volatile sessions.