Stock market today: Stock futures surge after soft jobs report, Apple earnings triumph

US shares surged on Friday, as upbeat earnings from Apple (AAPL) lifted spirits and a weaker-than-expected jobs report revived bets that the Federal Reserve might reduce rates of interest before thought.

Dow Jones Industrial Common (^DJI) futures jumped 1.3%, or greater than 450 factors, whereas S&P 500 (^GSPC) futures rose 1.1%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (^NDX) have been up roughly 1.6%. All three gauges are poised to construct on sharp closing positive factors from Thursday.

The April jobs report painted an image of a cooling US labor market, as employers added 175,000 jobs and the unemployment fee unexpectedly jumped to three.9%. Economists had anticipated an addition of 240,000 jobs.

The report pushed up bets on a sooner-than-expected fee reduce from the Fed. In keeping with the CME FedWatch instrument, merchants noticed a roughly 50-50 probability of a reduce at its July assembly, up sharply from Thursday.

In the meantime, Apple was the star of the corporates Friday, as its quarterly revenue beat expectations and it stunned traders with higher income out of China than estimated within the face of experiences of flagging iPhone gross sales.

Whereas CEO Tim Prepare dinner talked up Apple’s plans for AI improvement — a key focus this earnings season — it was the corporate’s plans for a $110 billion inventory buyback, the most important in US historical past, that captured the market’s consideration. Apple shares rose 7% in pre-market buying and selling, set to buoy the Dow.

The blue-chip index can be seeing a lift from heavyweight Amgen (AMGN), whose shares soared 13% as feedback by its CEO steered its weight problems drug might tackle market leaders from Novo Nordisk (NVO).

Learn extra: What the Fed fee choice means for financial institution accounts, CDs, loans, and bank cards

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Fri, Could 3, 2024 at 4:46 AM PDT

The valuation debate on Apple

Let the valuation debate on Apple’s (AAPL) inventory start after a tender quarter (I’m calling it tender even because the sell-side is overlooking all gross sales declines and focusing solely superb Apple issues) and forward of some AI catalysts quickly.

Loop Capital’s Ananda Baruah with a great level on this one:

“The inventory isn’t “costly” per se… however not screaming low-cost both. It’s robust to discern if valuation is buddy or foe at present, given Apple is buying and selling extra in the midst of its latest buying and selling vary however with fundamentals softer. Our hunch is that near-term inventory dynamics may very well be variable, with the second half of the 12 months inventory dynamics being extra “contextual” on condition that there doesn’t at present appear to be as a lot estimate variability vs. Wall Road, and that Aplle has the potential to generate information on Gen AI and on AR/VR (i.e. VisionPro), two areas that might show to be catalysts.”