Stock Market Today: Indexes Waver Amid Jobs Report and Trade Policy Concerns
Market Overview
On Friday, March 7, 2025, the U.S. stock market is experiencing a mixed performance as investors digest the latest jobs report and continue to grapple with ongoing trade policy concerns. The major indexes are showing slight gains in early trading, but remain on track for their worst week since September 2024.
Current Market Indexes
As of the latest update, the major market indexes are showing modest gains:
– The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is up 0.04%
– The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is down 0.03%
– The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) is up 0.02%
Despite these slight gains, the week has been tumultuous for Wall Street. The S&P 500 is down 3.6% week-to-date, while the Dow has fallen 2.9%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq has been hit the hardest, down 4.1% for the week and entering correction territory on Thursday, closing more than 10% off its recent high.
February Jobs Report
The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in February, slightly below the 160,000 expected by economists. The unemployment rate ticked up from 4% to 4.1%, marking a slight increase in joblessness.
Trade Policy Impacts
President Donald Trump’s volatile trade policies continue to be a significant factor in market uncertainty. Recent developments include:
1. Implementation of 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, with an additional 10% on China.
2. Subsequent concessions suspending tariffs on many goods from Canada and Mexico until April 2.
These policy shifts have left investors struggling to price in the potential impacts on future U.S. economic growth. Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, noted, “Markets are all over the place trying to price tariff impacts, which is really hard to do when the goal post moves, disappears, and morphs by the second.”
Upcoming Market Events
Investors are now turning their attention to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech, scheduled for later today. This address is expected to provide insights into the Fed’s perspective on the economy and potential future policy decisions.
Major Stock News
Several companies are making headlines in extended trading:
1. Super Micro Computer (SMCI): The server maker’s stock surged over 20% after submitting long-awaited financial filings to the SEC, avoiding potential delisting from Nasdaq.
2. Jack in the Box (JACK): Shares jumped more than 10% following strong fiscal first-quarter earnings of $1.92 per share, beating analyst expectations.
3. Workday (WDAY): The HR software company saw a 7% increase in share price after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue.
Market Outlook
As the market heads towards closing out its worst week in months, investors remain cautious. The recent sell-off has been largely driven by declines in big technology stocks, which have a significant impact on broad market indexes due to their size.
Jim Caron, chief investment officer of the portfolio solutions group at Morgan Stanley Investment Institute, suggests that markets are taking President Trump’s tariff threats more seriously now. However, he also notes that despite the recent volatility, major stock indexes remain close to record highs, and the overall economy is in good shape.
As we move forward, market participants will be closely watching for any developments in trade negotiations, further economic indicators, and corporate earnings reports to gauge the long-term impact of recent policy decisions on economic growth and market performance.
