Stock Market News Today, 5/1/25 – MSFT and META’s Stellar Earnings Power Surge in U.S. Futures

U.S. stock futures surged early Thursday following strong quarterly reports from tech giants, Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT). Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and the S&P 500 (SPX) were up 1.53%, 0.55%, and 1.04%, respectively, at 4:41 a.m. EST, May 1.

In after-hours trading yesterday, Meta stock rose over 5% after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter revenue. Also, MSFT stock soared nearly 7% following strong fiscal third-quarter results, beating estimates for both revenue and profit, and providing an upbeat outlook.

On the other hand, shares of Tesla (TSLA) dropped more than 3% on reports that its board is initiating a search for a successor to CEO Elon Musk.

These moves follow a volatile Wednesday session where the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones initially fell due to lower-than-expected GDP data, which showed the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in Q1. However, both indices later recovered to close the day in green.

Overall, April was a mixed month for the major indices partly due to trade policy news. While the Nasdaq Composite (NDAQ) managed a 0.9% gain last month, the S&P 500 and the Dow both ended the month in the red, down about 0.8% and 3.2%, respectively.

Looking ahead, investors will be focused on upcoming quarterly earnings reports from companies such as CVS Health (CVS), BigBear.ai (BBAI), Eli Lilly (LLY), Estee Lauder (EL), McDonald’s (MCD), Roblox (RBLX), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Block (XYZ).

On the economic front, Weekly Jobless Claims data, U.S. productivity report for Q1, and March’s Wholesale Inventories reading are due later today.

Meanwhile, the U.S. 10-year treasury yield was down, floating near 4.15%. Simultaneously, WTI crude oil futures are trending lower, hovering near $57.70 per barrel as of the last check.

At the same time, the Gold Spot US Dollar Price (XAUUSD) fell below $3,240 per ounce on Thursday, its lowest level since April 16. The fall came as easing trade tensions boosted risk appetite and reduced its demand.

Investors must note that most European markets were closed for the Labor Day holiday. At the same time, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 opened slightly lower on Thursday, as investors were cautious amid economic uncertainty and weak U.S. data.

Japanese Market Rallied on Thursday

Japanese indices were in the green today after the Bank of Japan held interest rates at 0.5%. Investor sentiment improved as the BOJ lowered growth and inflation forecasts, reducing chances for near-term rate hikes.

Japan’s Topix and Nikkei indices closed higher by 0.46% and 1.13%, respectively.

It must be mentioned that Hong Kong and China’s stock markets were closed today for Labor Day.

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