WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After pulling back sharply early in the session, stocks showed a significant recovery over the course of the trading day on Wednesday. The major averages climbed well off their worst levels of the day before eventually closing mixed.
The major averages showed a strong move to the upside going into the close of trading. While the Nasdaq still ended the day down 14.98 points or 0.1 percent at 17,446.34, the S&P 500 rose 8.21 points or 0.2 percent to 5,569.06 and the Dow climbed 141.74 points or 0.4 percent to 40,669.36.
The early sell-off on Wall Street came as traders cashed in on recent strength in the markets following the release of a Commerce Department report showing the U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank in the first three months of 2025.
The Commerce Department said real gross domestic product fell by 0.3 percent in the first quarter after surging by 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. Economists had expected GDP to rise by 0.4 percent.
The unexpected dip by GDP primarily reflected an increase in imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP.
Imports skyrocketed by 41.3 percent in the first quarter as businesses rushed to import goods before tariffs went into effect, subtracting 5.0 percentage points from GDP growth.
A decrease in government spending also weighed on GDP, while increases in investment, consumer spending and exports helped limit the downside.
Adding to the negative sentiment, payroll processor ADP released a report showing private sector employment in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the month of April.
Selling pressure waned over the course of the session, however, with the data possibly generating some optimism about the outlook for interest rates.
'The Fed will likely hold rates steady at next week's decision given so much is unknown about the impact of tariffs and how the economy will react to them,' said Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank. 'However, a rate cut at the Fed's following meeting in June is a live possibility.'
The Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation showed consumer prices were virtually unchanged in the month of March and the annual rate of growth slowed.
Sector News
Housing stocks showed a strong move to the upside over the course of the session, driving the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index up by 1.8 percent.
Significant strength also emerged among gold stocks, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index climbed by 1.7 percent despite a decrease by the price of the precious metal.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology stocks also moved notably higher as the day progressed, while considerable weakness remained visible among energy stocks amid a steep drop by the price of crude oil.
Other Markets
In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region turned in another mixed performance during trading on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index advanced by 0.6 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index dipped by 0.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the major European markets have all moved modestly lower on the day. While the German DAX Index is down by 0.2 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index is down by 0.2 percent and the French CAC 40 Index is down by 0.1 percent.
In the bond market, treasuries showed a lack of direction as traders digested the latest U.S. economic data. The yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, crept up by less than a basis point to 4.177 percent.
Looking Ahead
Trading on Thursday may be impacted by reaction to earnings news from Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT), which are among the companies releasing their quarterly results after the close of today's trading.
Reports on weekly jobless claims and manufacturing activity are also likely to attract attention along with any developments on the trade front.
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