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Dow Jones Today: Stock Futures Down Slightly as Trading Kicks Off After Four-Straight Weeks of Declines for S&P 500

Dow Jones Today: Stock Futures Down Slightly as Trading Kicks Off After Four-Straight Weeks of Declines for S&P 500

  • 17.03.2025 08:15
  • investopedia.com
  • Keywords: Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Broadcom, Affirm Holdings, Klarna, Walmart

Stock futures dropped slightly as trading began, following four straight weeks of declines for the S&P 500. Investor sentiment remains weak amid political and economic uncertainty, particularly over Trump administration policies and slowing U.S. growth.

Nvidia ReportsTesla ReportsMeta ReportsMicrosoft ReportsNDAQsentiment_dissatisfiedTSLAsentiment_dissatisfiedAAPLsentiment_dissatisfiedMSFTsentiment_dissatisfiedGOOGLsentiment_dissatisfiedNVDAsentiment_satisfiedAMZNsentiment_dissatisfiedMETAsentiment_dissatisfiedAVGOsentiment_dissatisfiedAFRMsentiment_dissatisfiedWMTsentiment_neutral

Estimated market influence

Dow Jones

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: N/A

Stock futures down slightly as trading begins after four straight weeks of declines for S&P 500.

S&P 500

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: N/A

Has posted losses for four consecutive weeks, with Friday's rally not enough to recover.

Nasdaq

Nasdaq

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Buy

Tech-heavy index also down due to investor concerns about policies and economic growth.

Tesla

Tesla

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Neutral

Shares down 1% in pre-market trading; has lost more than half its value since December's record high.

Apple

Apple

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Buy

Shares lost ground in pre-market trading.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Shares fell slightly ahead of the opening bell.

Alphabet

Alphabet

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Buy

Shares also lost ground in pre-market trading.

Nvidia

Nvidia

Positivesentiment_satisfied
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Up about 1% despite broader market declines; AI chipmaker benefiting from demand in AI sector.

Amazon

Amazon

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Shares fell slightly ahead of the opening bell.

Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Shares dropped in pre-market trading.

Broadcom

Broadcom

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Slight decline in shares as market sentiment is cautious.

Affirm Holdings

Affirm Holdings

Negativesentiment_dissatisfied
Analyst rating: Buy

Tumbled more than 10% after losing Walmart's exclusive provider status to Klarna.

Klarna

Positivesentiment_satisfied
Analyst rating: N/A

Gained as they replaced Affirm as Walmart's provider, indicating potential business expansion.

Walmart

Walmart

Neutralsentiment_neutral
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Did not directly report financial impact but changing suppliers could affect their partnerships and costs.

Context

Analysis of Stock Market Developments

Market Overview

  • U.S. equities are struggling to recover after four straight weeks of declines for the S&P 500, with futures down at the start of trading.
  • The decline is driven by political and economic uncertainty, particularly concerns over Trump administration policies (e.g., tariffs) and slowing U.S. economic growth.

Index Futures Performance

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average futures: Down 0.4%.
  • S&P 500 futures: Down 0.2%.
  • Nasdaq 100 futures: Down 0.1%.

Economic Uncertainty Factors

  • Investor sentiment is weak due to:
    • Concerns over U.S. economic growth slowdown.
    • Impact of Trump administration policies, particularly tariffs.

Sector Performance

  • Technology sector: Mixed pre-market trading.
    • Tesla (-1%), Apple (-), Microsoft (-), Alphabet (-): Declines.
    • Nvidia (+1%): Gains.
  • Fintech sector: Affirm Holdings (-10.2%) after losing Walmart deal to Klarna.

Key Economic Indicators

  • 10-year Treasury yield: Down to 4.28%, reflecting growing economic concerns.
  • Gold futures: Up 0.2% to $3,010 an ounce.
  • West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil futures: Up 1.4% to $68.10.

Market Sentiment and Trading Focus

  • Traders are monitoring:
    • Retail sales and homebuilder confidence reports.
    • Federal Reserve policy meeting outcomes (March 19-20).
    • Jerome Powell's post-meeting remarks and economic projections.

Competitive Dynamics

  • Fintech competition intensifies as Affirm loses Walmart partnership to Klarna, causing a significant stock drop (-10.2%).

Key Data Points

  • S&P 500: Four consecutive weeks of losses.
  • Dow Jones: Worst weekly decline in two years.
  • Tesla: Down more than 50% since December record high.
  • Bitcoin: Stable at $83,400.

Long-Term Implications

  • Market recovery may hinge on Fed policy clarity and economic data trends.
  • Tariffs and trade policies could shape long-term industry dynamics.