US Markets Close Mixed on Strong Payrolls and Tech Surge
· Market News · MarketsFN Team
US Stocks Rally Amid Payrolls Beat and AI Momentum
The US market session was dominated by a surprise beat in nonfarm payrolls, which added 115K jobs against a forecast of 65K, though red flags like slowing wage growth tempered optimism. This data, combined with a surge in AI-related stocks, propelled the Nasdaq to notable gains, while broader indices showed mixed results amid concerns over economic indicators and geopolitical tensions.
🇺🇸 US Session Overview
US equities ended the session with varied performances, driven by strong tech sector dynamics and mixed economic signals. The Nasdaq 100 led gains with a +2.35% advance, fueled by surges in AI and semiconductor stocks like Intel and AMD, as highlighted in recent headlines about a "changing of the guard in AI." In contrast, the Dow Jones edged up just +0.02%, reflecting caution in traditional sectors amid payroll red flags and comments from investors like Michael Burry comparing the market to the 1999-2000 bubble. The S&P 500 rose +0.84%, supported by broad market resilience, while the Russell 2000 gained +0.73%, indicating modest small-cap strength possibly linked to positive speculative positions in indices like the Nasdaq 100.📅 Economic Calendar Highlights
Today's economic releases featured several US indicators that mostly beat forecasts but revealed underlying weaknesses. US Nonfarm Payrolls for April came in at 115K, exceeding the 65K forecast and prior 185K, though Average Hourly Earnings rose only 0.2% month-over-month against a 0.3% expectation. The Unemployment Rate held steady at 4.3% as forecasted, but other data like the U6 Unemployment Rate ticked up to 8.2% from 8.0%, signaling broader labor market softness. Internationally, Germany's Industrial Production missed sharply at -0.7% versus a forecasted +0.4%, and the UK's Halifax House Price Index fell -0.1% month-over-month, below the 0.0% forecast. Michigan Consumer Sentiment also disappointed at 48.2, missing the 49.7 estimate, while inflation expectations eased slightly with 1-Year at 4.5% versus 4.8% forecast.📋 Earnings Spotlight
Several companies reported earnings before the market open, with notable names including Arbor Realty Trust Inc (ABR), Afya Ltd (AFYA), and Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc (AMR). These reports provided insights into real estate, healthcare, and resources sectors, though specific details were not immediately highlighted in broader market movements.💱 FX & Commodities
The US dollar showed a mixed performance, strengthening against some majors while weakening against others, influenced by the robust payrolls data and shifting investor sentiment. The EUR/USD pair rose +0.34% to 1.1787, and GBP/USD advanced +0.31% to 1.3633, reflecting positive European and UK data despite misses. In commodities, Gold (XAU/USD) climbed +0.70% to 4,732.70, buoyed by safe-haven demand amid geopolitical headlines like the Trump-Xi summit. Crude Oil (WTI) edged up +0.15% to 94.95, supported by oil rig count increases to 410, though natural gas fell -0.58% to 2.75. As Asian markets prepare to open, investors will eye potential volatility from the Trump-Xi summit and upcoming US inflation data, which could influence Fed rate decisions. With Bitcoin holding steady above 80,000, watch for tech stock reactions and any shifts in speculative positions. Overall, tomorrow's session may hinge on these global events, offering clues on whether today's mixed close signals a broader trend reversal.🇺🇸 US Indices — Session Close
| Index | Price | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,398.93 | ▲ +61.82 | ▲ +0.84% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 29,234.99 | ▲ +671.04 | ▲ +2.35% |
| Dow Jones | 49,609.16 | ▲ +12.19 | ▲ +0.02% |
| Russell 2000 | 2,860.36 | ▲ +20.73 | ▲ +0.73% |
💱 FX Majors
| Pair | Rate | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 1.1787 | ▲ +0.34% |
| GBP/USD | 1.3633 | ▲ +0.31% |
| USD/JPY | 156.73 | ▲ +0.14% |
| AUD/USD | 0.725 | ▲ +0.20% |
| USD/CHF | 0.7765 | ▼ -0.30% |
🛢️ Commodities & Crypto
| Asset | Price (USD) | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 4,732.70 | ▲ +0.70% |
| Silver (XAG/USD) | 81.07 | ▲ +1.71% |
| Crude Oil (WTI) | 94.95 | ▲ +0.15% |
| Brent Oil | 100.69 | ▲ +0.63% |
| Natural Gas | 2.75 | ▼ -0.58% |
| Bitcoin | 80,181.24 | ▲ +0.21% |
| Ethereum | 2,313.40 | ▲ +0.97% |
📋 Today's Earnings
| Ticker | Company | Timing | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABR | Arbor Realty Trust Inc | BMO | 1390000000.0 |
| AD | Array Digital Infrastructure Inc | BMO | 4850000000.0 |
| AFYA | Afya Ltd | BMO | 1250000000.0 |
| AIRS | Airsculpt Technologies Inc | BMO | 269840000.0 |
| ALMR | Alamar Biosciences Inc | BMO | 1620000000.0 |
| ALXO | Alx Oncology Holdings Inc | BMO | 274410000.0 |
| AMCX | AMC Global Media Inc | BMO | 374170000.0 |
| AMR | Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc | BMO | 2360000000.0 |
| ANIP | ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc | BMO | 1880000000.0 |
| AQN | Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp | BMO | 4820000000.0 |
| AREN | Arena Group Holdings Inc | BMO | 128060000.0 |
| ARTV | Artiva Biotherapeutics Inc | BMO | 270030000.0 |
| ASIX | AdvanSix Inc | BMO | 545790000.0 |
| ATOS | Atossa Therapeutics Inc | BMO | 48140000.0 |
| AU | AngloGold Ashanti Plc | BMO | 54110000000.0 |
| BAM | Brookfield Asset Management Ltd | BMO | 81400000000.0 |
| BBUC | Brookfield Business Corp | BMO | 7190000000.0 |
| BIAF | BioAffinity Technologies Inc | BMO | 9290000.0 |
| BIOA | BioAge Labs Inc | BMO | 800490000.0 |
| BOLD | Boundless Bio Inc | BMO | 32060000.000000004 |
📅 Economic Calendar
All times in UTC — Actual highlighted where available
| Time | Currency | Event | Imp. | Actual | Forecast | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:30 | USD | Average Hourly Earnings (MoM) (Apr) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 12:30 | USD | Nonfarm Payrolls (Apr) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 115K | 65K | 185K |
| 12:30 | USD | Unemployment Rate (Apr) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| 00:30 | JPY | S&P Global Services PMI (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 51.0 | 51.2 | 53.4 |
| 06:00 | GBP | Halifax House Price Index (MoM) (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | -0.1% | 0.0% | -0.5% |
| 06:00 | GBP | Halifax House Price Index (YoY) (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| 06:00 | EUR | German Industrial Production (MoM) (Mar) | 🟡🟡 | -0.7% | 0.4% | -0.5% |
| 06:00 | EUR | German Trade Balance (Mar) | 🟡🟡 | 14.3B | 17.8B | 19.5B |
| 07:00 | CHF | SECO Consumer Climate (Q2) | 🟡🟡 | -40 | -46 | -30 |
| 08:30 | GBP | Mortgage Rate (GBP) (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 6.60% | 6.60% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Average Hourly Earnings (YoY) (YoY) (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| 12:30 | USD | Participation Rate (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 61.8% | 61.9% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Private Nonfarm Payrolls (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 123K | 75K | 190K |
| 12:30 | USD | U6 Unemployment Rate (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 8.2% | 8.0% | |
| 12:30 | CAD | Employment Change (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | -17.7K | 12.9K | 14.1K |
| 12:30 | CAD | Unemployment Rate (Apr) | 🟡🟡 | 6.9% | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| 14:00 | USD | Michigan 1-Year Inflation Expectations (May) | 🟡🟡 | 4.5% | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| 14:00 | USD | Michigan 5-Year Inflation Expectations (May) | 🟡🟡 | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| 14:00 | USD | Michigan Consumer Expectations (May) | 🟡🟡 | 48.5 | 48.1 | 48.1 |
| 14:00 | USD | Michigan Consumer Sentiment (May) | 🟡🟡 | 48.2 | 49.7 | 49.8 |
| 15:50 | USD | Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Q2) | 🟡🟡 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| 17:00 | USD | U.S. Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count | 🟡🟡 | 410 | 408 | |
| 17:00 | USD | U.S. Baker Hughes Total Rig Count | 🟡🟡 | 548 | 547 | |
| 19:30 | GBP | CFTC GBP speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -63.9K | -60.6K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Crude Oil speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 178.8K | 191.9K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Gold speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 163.3K | 159.6K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Nasdaq 100 speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 1.2K | -2.3K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC S&P 500 speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -103.9K | -101.4K | |
| 19:30 | AUD | CFTC AUD speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 78.7K | 71.9K | |
| 19:30 | BRL | CFTC BRL speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 66.8K | 46.4K | |
| 19:30 | JPY | CFTC JPY speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -61.7K | -102.1K | |
| 19:30 | EUR | CFTC EUR speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 32.2K | 35.7K | |
| 16:00 | USD | U.S. President Trump Speaks | 🔴🔴🔴 | — | ||
| 07:00 | EUR | ECB President Lagarde Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 07:05 | EUR | ECB's De Guindos Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 11:30 | USD | FOMC Member Bowman Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 12:20 | GBP | BoE Gov Bailey Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 16:00 | EUR | ECB's Schnabel Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 16:15 | EUR | German Buba President Nagel Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 23:30 | USD | Fed Waller Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 23:30 | USD | FOMC Member Bowman Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 23:30 | USD | FOMC Member Daly Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — |
Report published: May 08, 2026 — 22:12 CET
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