Stock Market Update: S&P 500 Futures Rise Following Earnings Reports
Date: April 25, 2025
By: Sean Conlon
In early trading on Friday, S&P 500 futures rose 0.45%, continuing a positive momentum from the previous sessions. The upward trend follows Wall Street’s third consecutive day of gains and strong quarterly earnings reports from major corporations, notably Alphabet.
Positive Earnings Report from Alphabet
Shares of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, surged approximately 5% in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company exceeded Wall Street expectations in both revenue and earnings for the first quarter. Alphabet reported earnings of $2.81 per share on revenue of $90.23 billion. Analysts had anticipated earnings of $2.01 per share and revenue of $89.12 billion.
In contrast, Intel’s shares plummeted over 5% after the company provided disappointing guidance, revealing plans to significantly reduce operational and capital expenses.
Market Trends and Economic Indicators
The rise in futures followed a solid performance by the major indices in Thursday’s trading session, where the S&P 500 increased by more than 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced nearly 3% and over 1%, respectively. These gains were largely fueled by major technology stocks, which have been under pressure due to concerns regarding rising global trade tensions.
The markets have been fluctuating since President Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffs on April 2, and investors are keenly awaiting developments in trade negotiations, particularly with China. Following recent statements from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, indicating no ongoing discussions on tariffs, market sentiment has slightly shifted. Yadong He, a spokesperson for the ministry, called for the cancellation of "unilateral measures on China," which could signal a thaw in trade relations.
Trump himself hinted earlier in the week that tariff rates, which currently average 145% on goods imported from China, will see a substantial reduction, although he emphasized they wouldn’t drop to zero.
Analysts Weigh In
Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise, commented on the current market dynamics, suggesting that a renewed focus on corporate earnings could provide the optimism needed to propel stocks higher. "I think that really all the market needed was just a little spark to kind of move it off some of these depressed levels, and I think that’s what we’re seeing," Saglimbene remarked. He warned, however, that the market could still experience volatility as investors navigate economic uncertainties.
This week, the S&P 500 has gained nearly 4% as of Thursday’s close, while the Dow is up more than 2% and the Nasdaq has advanced over 5%. Other corporations, including AutoNation, Colgate-Palmolive, and AbbVie, are scheduled to announce their quarterly earnings before the market opens on Friday.
Upcoming Economic Data
In addition to corporate earnings, investors are looking forward to the consumer sentiment data for April, which is set to be released at 10:00 AM EDT. Economists polled by Dow Jones anticipate that the consumer sentiment index will remain unchanged from the previous month at 50.8. ## Conclusion
As the markets continue to react to both earnings reports and broader economic indicators, volatility is expected to remain high. Traders and analysts will be closely monitoring upcoming earnings results from major technology companies, including Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple, which could further influence market trends in the days ahead.
Stay tuned for more live updates as the market unfolds throughout the day.
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