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Traders work on the floor of the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, US, on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Stock futures moved higher on Thursday night as investors look to close out a volatile week, punctuated by sharp swings for the major averages.
S&P 500 futures added 0.3%, while Nasdaq 100 futures climbed roughly 0.4%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 103 points, or nearly 0.3%.
Tariff fears remain at the forefront of investors' minds after President Donald Trump temporarily slashed his country-specific duties to a universal rate of 10% — except for China. Goods from Beijing will see a rate of 145%, a White House official confirmed to CNBC.
The S&P 500 fell 3.46% on Thursday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1,014.79 points, or 2.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended the day lower by 4.31%.
Thursday's declines wiped a chunk of the gains the major averages saw on Wednesday after Trump announced a 90-day reprieve on some of his high "reciprocal" tariffs. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 surged 9.52% for its third-largest gain in a single day since World War II and the 30-stock Dow skyrocketed more than 2,900 points.
Stocks resumed their losing ways on Thursday as traders went into risk-off mode, with trade policy uncertainty weighing on sentiment.
The "lower tariff level is still a huge problem, and deadlines three months out offer no certainty for consumers, business, and investors," said Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital Management. "This set of policies will leave the U.S. with higher inflation, lower economic growth, and a frustrated stock market."
Here are the tariffs currently in place:
- 145% duty on all goods from China
- 25% tariffs targeting aluminum, autos and goods from Canada and Mexico not under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
- 10% levy on all other imports
Despite the tumultuous week, the three major averages are on pace for solid gains in the period. The S&P 500 is on pace for a 3.8% advance, its best weekly performance since November. The Nasdaq is on track for its best week dating back to September, up 5.1%. The Dow is on pace for a 3.3% jump week to date.
Investors are now turning to a slew of earnings out Friday from the nation's largest banks and financial companies, which will kick off first-quarter earnings season and offer clues about the state of the U.S. economy. Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock are a few names set to report their financial results.
On the economic front, the March producer price index report and the preliminary University of Michigan consumer sentiment data for April will be released Friday.
Thursday sell-off was 'rare, ugly and worrying,' Evercore's Guha says
Thursday's washout in the stock market showed that investors care clamoring for still more clarity from President Donald Trump regarding tariffs, according to Evercore ISI strategist Krishna Guha.
"Today's trading has seen a rare, ugly and worrying combination of market moves with the dollar, bonds and equities lower amid renewed volatility and stress cross-asset markets – in spite of a decent enough 30 year Treasury auction," Guha, the firm's head of global policy and central bank strategy, said in a note to clients.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 1,000 points while bond yields at the long end of the curve rose and the U.S. dollar lost nearly 2% against a basket of global currencies.
The moves could have been "a spasm," Guha wrote, "But the market is pressing for a bigger U-turn with either a complete cessation of tariffs ex-China, or negotiations with China, or both."
—Jeff Cox
English (US)