What Moved Markets This Week

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Wall Street’s major averages ended the week mixed, even as the S&P 500 (SP500) and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP:IND) jumped to new highs as the conflict in the Middle East continued to lack resolution while oil prices rose.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would extend its ceasefire with Iran until a coordinated plan for an end to the war, which would include Israel, was brought forward. However, he has left the ongoing blockade in place.

He also accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement after Iranian forces fired upon ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including a French vessel and a British freighter. Later, Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” any vessel found placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz with “no hesitation.”

Iran has said it will not participate in a second round of talks with the U.S., objecting to what it described as excessive and unrealistic demands from Washington. Also, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has reportedly stepped down as Tehran’s lead negotiator.

Lastly, Trump announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended for another three weeks after hosting the ambassadors of both countries in Washington.

Crude oil futures (CL1:COM) increased around 13.2% this week to settle around $94, and Brent futures (CO1:COM) also rose 17.2% to $105 per barrel as of post-market Friday.

In economic news, retail sales jumped more than expected in March, while February business inventories rose +0.4% MoM to $2,686.8B vs. +0.2% consensus, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Also, the AAII survey showed that bullish sentiment among individual investors surged, while bearish views declined. Lastly, the Consumer Sentiment Index was revised up in April to 49.8 from the initial 47.6 and 53.3 in March.

For the week, the S&P (SP500) gained +0.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (COMP:IND) rose +1.5% and the blue-chip Dow (DJI) declined -0.4%. Read a preview of next week’s major events in Seeking Alpha’s Catalyst Watch.

Customs and Border Protection launched a tariff refund portal this week, with thousands of companies rushing to file claims for the duties they paid over the past year. It’s unclear how many of them will pass the benefit on to consumers, but retailers like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) stand to receive billions in refunds, while the tech, media and telecom industry could get over $47B. Read more.

Seeking Alpha’s Calls Of The Week

Berkshire (BRK.B): Abel Arbitrage, Strong Returns Post-Buffett.

Star Bulk’s (SBLK) Updated Dividend Policy, Macro Tailwinds.

Trump’s Green Light – Cannabis Stocks (MSOS) Are Surging.

The Worst Is Now Over, Here’s Why It’s Time To Buy FSCO.

Orion Properties (ONL): Refinancing Risk Is Off The Table.

Enterprise Products (EPD) May See Limited Upside In 2026.

Enbridge (ENB): Moving To The Sidelines After A Great Run.

Locking In Gains – Sell Amazon (AMZN) On Anthropic Spike.

Campbell’s (CPB) Is A Sell Amid Troubling Core Inefficiencies.

Here’s Why It’s Time To Move On From Coterra Energy (CTRA).

Weekly Movement

U.S. Indices
Dow -0.4% to 49,231. S&P 500 +0.6% to 7,165. Nasdaq +1.5% to 24,837. Russell 2000 +0.4% to 2,787. CBOE Volatility Index +7% to 18.71.

S&P 500 Sectors
Consumer Staples +1.2%. Utilities +0.1%. Financials -1.9%. Telecom -0.8%. Healthcare -3.1%. Industrials -0.6%. Information Technology +3.1%. Materials +0.1%. Energy +3.2%. Consumer Discretionary -0.3%. Real Estate -1.4%.

World Indices
London -2.7% to 10,379. France -3.2% to 8,158. Germany -2.3% to 24,129. Japan +2.1% to 59,716. China +0.7% to 4,080. Hong Kong -0.7% to 25,978. India -2.3% to 76,681.

Commodities and Bonds
Crude Oil WTI +12.6% to $94.4/bbl. Gold -2.8% to $4,740.9/oz. Natural Gas -5.7% to 2.523. Ten-Year Bond Yield -0.2 bps to 4.31.

Forex and Cryptos
EUR/USD -0.36%. USD/JPY +0.47%. GBP/USD +0.12%. Bitcoin +2.6%. Litecoin +1.8%. Ethereum -1.4%. XRP +0.3%.

Top S&P 500 Gainers
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) +25%. United Rentals (URI) +22%. Texas Instruments (TXN) +21%. Intel (INTC) +21%. ON Semiconductor (ON) +19%.

Top S&P 500 Losers
Charter Communications (CHTR) -24%. Tractor Supply (TSCO) -18%. lululemon athletica (LULU) -14%. Northrop Grumman (NOC) -14%. Lockheed Martin (LMT) -13%.

Where will the markets be headed next week? Current trends and ideas? Add your thoughts to the comments section.