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Wall Street Wavers As UNH Tumbles, Foot Locker Soars: What's Driving Markets Thursday?

Benzinga·05/15/2025 17:35:11
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U.S. stocks traded mixed Thursday, with major indices posting timid midday gains as investors digested fresh economic data revealing signs of consumer strain and disinflationary pressure stemming from April's tariff escalation.

Retail sales rose just 0.1% in April, slightly above flat expectations, but core retail sales—a category tied more closely to GDP—fell 0.3%, signaling weakening underlying consumption.

Producer prices contracted by 0.5% month-over-month, defying forecasts for an increase and marking the steepest drop since April 2020.

Defensive sectors outperformed, with consumer staples and utilities leading gains, reflecting a cautious market tone.

In tech, semiconductor stocks—tracked by the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX)—edged down 0.4%, pulling back after a three-day rally sparked by the U.S.-China trade truce.

Oil prices slid 2.2%, with WTI light crude falling to $61 per barrel. Gold climbed 1.4% to above $3,200 per ounce, paring weekly losses amid renewed demand for inflation hedges.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was little changed, hovering around $103,436, continuing to trade in a narrow range since last Friday.

Thursday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

Major Indices Price 1-day %Chg
S&P 500 5,914.04 +0.3%
Dow Jones 42,202.33 +0.3%
Nasdaq 100 21,392.27 +0.3%
Russell 2000 2,088.09 +0.2%
Updated by 12:45 p.m. ET

According to Benzinga Pro data:

  • The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) inched 0.3% up to $589.95.
  • The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) rose 0.4% to $422.17.
  • The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) rose 0.5% to $471.29.
  • The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) rose 0.3% to $207.50.
  • The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) outperformed, up 1.5%; the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) lagged, down 0.5%.

Thursday’s Stock Movers

  • UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) plunged more than 15% following reports that the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into possible Medicare fraud involving the company. The company’s shares slump since April 15 has now extended to 56%, marking the worst 21-session drop in the company’s history.
  • Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) eased 0.5%, despite beating quarterly earnings estimates as the retail giant warned about higher prices later this month due to tariffs.
  • Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) soared nearly 6% after smashing earnings estimates in Q1.
  • Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE:DKS) sunk 15% after announcing the acquisition of Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE:FL) for an equity value of $2.4 billion. Shares of Foot Locker Inc. skyrocketed 85%, recording their biggest one-day rise since the company went public in 1968.
  • Companies slated to report earnings after the close are Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) and Take Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO)

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.