Markets
Luke Kawa
5/2/25

US stocks extend winning streak to nine, erase all losses since reciprocal tariff announcement

Confirmation that China is open to trade talks with the US along with better-than-expected US job growth in April fueled another day of gains for stocks, with the S&P 500 up 1.5%, the Nasdaq 100 gaining 1.6%, and the Russell 2000 booking a 2.3% advance.

The S&P 500 has now reclaimed all of its losses since the April 2 reciprocal tariffs announcement.

It’s the first set of back-to-back weekly gains in excess of 2% for the benchmark index since October 2022. And the S&P 500 has now equaled its record stretch of consecutive gains while below the 200-day moving average with nine days, tying streaks seen in 1970, 1973, and 1981.

Every S&P 500 sector ETF rose at least 1% except for consumer staples and utilities, two more defensive pockets of the market. Financials led the way higher.

The big day for stocks came despite retreats from the two Magnificent 7 constituents that reported earnings after the close on Thursday.

Apple sank as its top- and bottom-line beat was overshadowed by weakness in its China business and worries that its strong iPhone sales were a one-off rush to beat potential tariffs. Amazon finished modestly lower after reporting solid Q1 earnings but a Q2 outlook that disappointed the Street.

Five Below was one of the major positive surprises of the day, raising its first-quarter guidance despite facing intense operational challenges linked to its supply chains in China. Shares jumped double digits.

AppLovin also rose double digits after Wedbush suggested the stock could be a huge beneficiary of a recent court order that stops Apple from collecting commissions on off-app purchases.

Strategy’s big earnings miss and light revenues didn’t stop traders from bidding up the stock.

Instacart rose on the heels of solid Q1 results that included impressive order growth.

Palantir shares finished just shy of a record closing high after reports that the White House is looking to boost defense spending.

Duolingo posted strong earnings and upped its full-year forecast, sending shares soaring.

On the other hand, Block was a big loser after the fintech firm did the opposite: missing on earnings and revenues while lowering its full-year guidance. Roku also slumped after issuing a cautious full-year outlook, while Take Two tanked after pushing back the release of “GTA 6” from the fall of this year to May 26, 2026.

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Nia Warfield, Luke Kawa
9/12/25
S&P 500 goes nowhere, Nasdaq 100 hits another record, small-caps tumble

Warner Bros. Discovery led gains for the second day in a row, and only three S&P 500 sector ETFs finished in the green.

Horse Ranch In Zhangye
markets
Matt Phillips
9/12/25

Rocket lab soars to new record close amid rally for retail faves

Rocket Lab ripped by roughly 10% Friday to close at a new all-time high, riding an upturn of retail enthusiasm for a coterie of tech-themed favorites, even as the broader market was more or less flat on the day.

Goldman Sachs’ basket of “retail favorites” — its heaviest weights are Reddit, AppLovin, and Tempus AI — was the second-biggest gainer among the company’s flagship US equity baskets on Friday, rising about 1.6%. The S&P was almost dead flat.

It’s not Rocket Lab’s first retail rodeo, as the money-losing company has more than doubled this year and is up nearly 700% over the last 12 months.

Oracle Wall Street Revisions

Analysts revise up anything and everything they thought about Oracle

After the company’s bombshell earnings this week, Wall Street thinks Oracle’s trajectory has changed.

Matt Phillips9/12/25
markets
Nia Warfield
9/12/25

Six Flags pops after reiterating its guidance as theme park attendance rebounds

Six Flags shares rose more than 7% today after the company reported a rebound in attendance and early season pass sales heading into the fall. The nine-week period ended August 31 saw 17.8 million guests, up about 2% from the same stretch last year, with stronger momentum in the final four weeks. 

More importantly, Six Flags reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $860 million to $910 million, showing confidence that its cost and operations strategy can stay strong for the duration of the year. Riding that wave, Six Flags also said early 2026 season pass unit sales are pacing ahead of last year, and average season pass prices are up about 3%.

The good vibes come despite a drop in in-park per-capita spending, especially from admissions, where promotions and changes to attendance mix (which parks or days guests visit) have weighed. Earlier this week, the amusement giant signed a new agreement that extended its position as the exclusive amusement park partner for Peanuts™ in North America through 2030.

Despite the rally, Six Flags shares are down about 52% year to date.

markets
Max Knoblauch
9/12/25

Rivian turns red on the year, squeezed by a recall and the looming end of the EV tax credit

Shares of EV maker Rivian are down more than 5% on Friday following the company’s recall of 24,214 vehicles due to a software issue. The stock move erases Rivian’s year-to-date gain and turns the company negative on the year.

Rivian’s 2025 model year R1S and R1T are affected by the defect, which was identified after a vehicle’s hands-free highway assist software failed to identify another vehicle on the road, causing a low-speed collision. Rivian said it’s released an over-the-air update to fix the issue.

The recall marks Rivian’s fifth this year, affecting nearly 70,000 of its vehicles.

Rivian’s shares are down more than 20% from their 2025 high, which came prior to the passage of President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Through the legislation, the $7,500 EV tax credit is set to expire at the end of the month.

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