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. (NYSE: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. (NYSE:XOM) rallied 4.1%, while Chevron Corp. (NYSE: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 (CRYPTO: BTC) edged up 0.9% to $85,000.

Thursday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

According to Benzinga Pro data:

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

Thursday’s Stock Movers

• Eli Lilly Inc. (NYSE: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 (NYSE:FIS) jumped 9% after announcing a $13.5 billion deal to acquire Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: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 (NYSE:AXP), up 0.5%; Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX), up 1.9%; Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE:SCHW), up 2.7%; Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (NYSE:MMC) down 3.3%; Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE:TFC), up 1.3%; State Street Corp. (NYSE:STT), up 3.2%; KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY), up 3.7% and Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:HBAN), up 4%.
• Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: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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