U.S. stock benchmarks ended Thursday's session in the red, pressured primarily by losses in the Basic Materials, Industrials and Healthcare sectors. At the New York close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.61% to a new one-month low, the S&P 500 slipped 0.57%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.26%.
Within the Dow components, Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) was the session's top gainer, climbing 4.30% or 8.31 points to finish at 201.39. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) added 2.60% or 6.49 points, ending at 256.55, and Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) rose 2.07% or 3.85 to close at 189.88.
On the downside, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) posted the largest loss among the index's constituents, falling 3.67% or 31.79 points to 835.46 at the close. Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) declined 3.54% or 25.89 points to 706.08, and Walmart Inc (NASDAQ:WMT) was down 3.52% or 4.50 points to 123.31.
Looking at the S&P 500 universe, travel and chemicals names were notable risers. Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) jumped 13.70% to 251.56, Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BKNG) rose 8.46% to settle at 4,613.28, and LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) added 6.40% to close at 65.88.
Conversely, certain Industrials and Healthcare-related stocks faced sharp declines. Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) fell 6.99% to 134.72, Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE:LUV) lost 6.89% to settle at 43.90, and Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) dropped 6.83% to 53.85 by the close.
On the NASDAQ Composite, a handful of smaller-cap and single-stock movers dominated extremes in both directions. Turbo Energy SA ADR (NASDAQ:TURB) surged 79.76% to 3.02, STAK Inc (NASDAQ:STAK) advanced 62.15% to 1.00, and Alto Ingredients Inc (NASDAQ:ALTO) climbed 54.62% to close at 4.02. At the other end, CIMG Inc (NASDAQ:IMG) plunged 56.09% to 0.22, Medicus Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:MDCX) slid 50.93% to 0.68, and Cybin Inc (NASDAQ:HELP) decreased 33.88% to 5.64.
Market breadth was negative on both major exchanges. On the New York Stock Exchange, decliners outpaced advancers by 2043 to 709, with 64 issues unchanged. The Nasdaq saw 2304 stocks fall and 1092 advance, while 160 finished unchanged.
Several intraday record moves were recorded. Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) reached an all-time high, gaining 2.07% or 3.85 to 189.88. In contrast, CIMG Inc (NASDAQ:IMG) and Medicus Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:MDCX) each fell to all-time lows, with IMG down 56.09% or 0.29 to 0.22 and MDCX down 50.93% or 0.70 to 0.68. Alto Ingredients Inc (NASDAQ:ALTO) hit a 52-week high, rising 54.62% or 1.42 to 4.02.
Volatility measures climbed as well. The CBOE Volatility Index, which gauges implied volatility for S&P 500 options, increased 12.29% to 23.75, marking a new three-month high.
In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery declined 0.88% or 45.34 to $5,089.36 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery rose 5.88% or 4.39 to $79.05 a barrel, while the May Brent contract increased 3.05% or 2.48 to trade at $83.88 a barrel.
Foreign exchange and dollar measures showed modest moves. EUR/USD was largely unchanged, moving 0.23% to 1.16, and USD/JPY increased 0.28% to 157.51. The US Dollar Index Futures gained 0.31% to 99.04.
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Key points
- Major U.S. indices closed lower, with the Dow falling 1.61% to a one-month low, while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ also slipped.
- Sector pressure was concentrated in Basic Materials, Industrials and Healthcare, influencing a broad market pullback and increased volatility.
- Energy and select travel and chemicals stocks posted gains even as several smaller-cap names experienced extreme one-day moves.
Risks and uncertainties
- Broad market declines and rising volatility, as indicated by the VIX increase to 23.75, may signal elevated investor caution across equity sectors, especially Industrials and Healthcare.
- Sharp moves in small-cap and single-stock names create uncertainty for market breadth and liquidity, with multiple issues hitting all-time or 52-week extremes.
- Commodity price swings - notably the sharp rise in crude oil and concurrent drop in gold futures - could affect cost dynamics and risk profiles for Industrials and energy-related firms.