Wall Street saw a rebound in risk appetite on Thursday ahead of the long Easter weekend, as President Donald Trump signaled positive momentum in trade negotiations.

Speaking ahead of a scheduled meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Trump expressed strong confidence in reaching a trade agreement with the European Union. He also hinted at progress with China, stating, "We will make a good deal with China."

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that trade talks with Japan are moving in a highly satisfactory direction.

By midday in New York, the S&P 500 had climbed 0.9%, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.5%, recouping some losses after a 3% slide on Wednesday. The Dow Jones, however, slipped 0.9%, weighed down by a sharp 23% plunge in UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH after the company slashed its full-year earnings forecast.

Energy stocks led the day’s gains, buoyed by rising oil prices. Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM rallied 4.1%, while Chevron Corp. CVX advanced 3.5%.

Gold prices retreated nearly 1% after a strong multi-day rally, pressured by a firmer U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed six basis points to 4.34%.

Bitcoin BTC/USD edged up 0.9% to $85,000.

Thursday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

Major Indices	Price	Chg (%)
Russell 2000	1,884.35	1.0%
S&P 500	5,323.43	0.9%
Nasdaq 100	18,357.77	0.5%
Dow Jones	39,441.72	-0.6%

According to Benzinga Pro data:

• The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY rose 0.8% to $530.09.
• The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average DIA fell 0.7% to $394.05.
• The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series QQQ rose 0.5% to $446.19.
• The iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM soared 1% to $186.67.
• The Energt Select Sector SPDR Fund XLE outperformed, up 3.5%; the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund XLV lagged, down 0.1%.

Thursday’s Stock Movers

• Eli Lilly Inc. LLY surged 16% after announcing that its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, Orforglipron, successfully completed Phase 3 trials without requiring food or water restrictions.
• Fidelity National Information Services FIS jumped 9% after announcing a $13.5 billion deal to acquire Global Payments Inc. GPN’s Issuer Solutions business. The move is aimed at bolstering FIS's fintech capabilities and is expected to generate over $125 million in annual revenue synergies. Shares of GPN tumbled 15%.
• Companies reacting to earnings reports included American Express Co AXP, up 0.5%; Blackstone Inc. BX, up 1.9%; Charles Schwab Corp. SCHW, up 2.7%; Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. MMC down 3.3%; Truist Financial Corp. TFC, up 1.3%; State Street Corp. STT, up 3.2%; KeyCorp KEY, up 3.7% and Huntington Bancshares Inc. HBAN, up 4%.
• Netflix Inc. NFLX rose 2% ahead of the earnings report, which is slated for release after the market close.

Read Now:

• UnitedHealth CEO Says High Cost Of US Health Care ‘Simply Not Sustainable’

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