Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on March 17, 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NYSE<\/p>\n
Stock futures rose on Wednesday after two Big Tech players posted quarterly results.<\/p>\n
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average<\/a> climbed 111 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures<\/a> jumped nearly 0.6%, while Nasdaq 100 futures<\/a> gained 1.2%.<\/p>\n In extended trading, Meta Platforms<\/a> advanced more than 4% on stronger-than-expected<\/a> revenue in the first quarter. Microsoft<\/a> jumped 8%, powered by top- and bottom-line beat<\/a>s in the fiscal third quarter, as well as strong results from its Azure cloud business and upbeat guidance.<\/p>\n In the previous session on Wednesday, the S&P 500<\/a> and the 30-stock Dow<\/a> posted gains in volatile trading, coming back from earlier losses. At the day’s lows, the broad market index was down more than 2%, while the blue-chip Dow lost more than 780 points.<\/p>\n Traders were initially shaken by weak economic data from the Commerce Department<\/a>, showing that gross domestic product fell at an annualized pace of 0.3%. It marked the first quarter of negative growth since Q1 of 2022. Economists polled by Dow Jones sought a 0.4% gain. Investors looked past the dismal results and began buying back into the market late in the session, resulting in a rebound into positive territory for the Dow and S&P 500.<\/p>\n Wednesday marked the final trading day in April, in which stocks were first whipsawed after President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff announcement on April 2 and the subsequent suspension of the highest levies. At one point, during the month, the S&P 500 briefly slipped into a bear market<\/a> \u2013 falling more than 20% from its February record high \u2013 before recapturing some of its losses. The broad market index wound up ending Wednesday about 9% off its record close.<\/p>\n “While market volatility may persist until more tariff certainty emerges, we think the sharpest Trump policy swings are likely behind us and that the outlook is becoming more constructive,” UBS Global Wealth Management chief investment officer Solita Marcelli wrote on Wednesday. “[W]ith Trump’s first 100 days bringing political uncertainty, shifting trade policies, and choppy markets, we believe investors should focus on strategies that both manage and look through volatility.”<\/p>\n