US markets close sharply lower on Friday

30 Apr 2022 Evaluate

The US markets closed sharply lower on Friday with the Nasdaq plunging to its lowest closing level since late November 2020 as the tech-heavy index showing a 13.3 percent nosedive. A negative reaction to the latest batch of earnings news contributed to the sharp pullback on Wall Street, with shares of Amazon (AMZN) plummeting by 14.1 percent to their lowest closing level in almost two years. The steep drop by Amazon came after the online retail giant reported an unexpected first quarter loss and provided disappointing revenue guidance for the current quarter. Semiconductor giant Intel (INTC) also tumbled by 6.9 percent after reporting first quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates but issuing weak guidance for the second quarter. Traders also remain cautious ahead next week's Federal Reserve meeting, with the central bank widely expected to raise interest rates by 50 basis points.

On the economic front, a report released by the Commerce Department showed U.S. personal income increased by slightly more than expected in the month of March, while U.S. personal spending jumped by much more than anticipated. The Commerce Department said personal income rose by 0.5 percent in March after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.7 percent in February. Street had expected personal income to rise by 0.4 percent compared to the 0.5 percent increase originally reported for the previous month. The report also showed personal spending jumped by 1.1 percent in March after advancing by an upwardly revised 0.6 percent in February. Personal spending was expected to increase by 0.7 percent compared to the 0.2 percent uptick originally reported for the previous month.

Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 939.18 points or 2.77 percent to 32,977.21, Nasdaq fell 536.89 points or 4.17 percent to 12,334.64 and S&P 500 was down by 52.03 points or 1.24 percent to 4,131.93. 

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