As of today, Thursday, April 30, 2026, the closing Power Hour is marked by a massive rally as markets close out a historic month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has surged a record 538 points to cross the 49,400 threshold for the first time.
Market Performance at the Close
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: Up nearly 800 points (approx. 1.7%) in afternoon trading, driven largely by industrials.
- S&P 500: Hovering around 7,168, reaching fresh all-time intraday highs with a gain of roughly 0.4%.
- Nasdaq Composite: Edging higher by 0.2% to 0.9% throughout the day, also hitting a new all-time high despite mixed reactions to Big Tech earnings.
Key Stocks to Watch
The closing hour is seeing intense activity in several major names following their quarterly reports:
- Caterpillar (CAT): Skyrocketed 10% after raising its full-year outlook, fueled by demand from AI data centers.
- Alphabet (GOOGL): Rallied 9-10%—its best performance in a year—following a boom in its cloud business and strong AI growth.
- Eli Lilly (LLY): Surged 8-10% as sales for its obesity drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro exceeded forecasts.
- Meta Platforms (META): Slumped 7-9% as investors reacted to high AI spending plans despite an earnings beat.
- Microsoft (MSFT): Dipped 2-5% due to concerns over high capital expenditures related to its AI buildout.
Factors Influencing the Final Hour
- Oil Prices: Crude oil (WTI) has slipped to roughly $105, providing a relief rally for stocks despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
- Economic Data: Fresh GDP and PCE data arrived mostly in line with expectations, encouraging "cautious optimism" among traders entering the close.
- Earnings Anticipation: Investors are positioning themselves ahead of Apple (AAPL)'s highly anticipated earnings report, which will be released immediately after the bell.
Would you like to see the after-hours movements for these stocks as soon as the closing bell rings?
All responses may include mistakes. For financial advice, consult a professional. Learn more
Add comment
Comments