Ignacio Teson•Monday, March 31, 2025•1 min read Add an article to your Reading ListRegister now to be able to add articles to your reading list." ar
Investors remained cautious as they closely monitored the impending tariffs set to take effect this Wednesday under U.S. President Donald Trump.
The three major Wall Street indices ended the first session of the week with mixed results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tracks 30 corporate giants, rose 1% to 42,001.76 points, while the S&P 500, representing the most valuable companies, gained 0.55% to 5,611.85 points. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.14% to 17,299.29.
SPX
Tariff Concerns Loom Ahead of “Liberation Day”
As part of Trump’s trade policy, April 2—dubbed “Liberation Day” by the president—will mark a pivotal moment when a series of tariffs on major U.S. trading partners take effect.
By sector, the only decline was in consumer discretionary stocks (-0.18%), while the biggest gains were seen in consumer staples (+1.63%) and financials (+1.25%). Within the Dow Jones, Walmart led the gains with a 3% increase, while Boeing saw the biggest loss, down 1.59%.
Negative Trend for the Month and Quarter
All three indices recorded negative performances for both March and the first quarter, reflecting ongoing concerns over tariffs.
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Dow Jones: -0.10% in March, -1.28% for Q1
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S&P 500: -5.75% in March, -4.29% for Q1
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Nasdaq Composite: -8.21% in March, -10.49% for Q1
Key Economic Reports This Week
This week, markets will also focus on several key economic reports, particularly the March jobs report.
Analysts expect the U.S. economy to have added 139,000 jobs in March, down from 151,000 in February, with the unemployment rate projected to hold steady at 4.1%.
Ahead of Friday’s nonfarm payroll report, investors will also analyze private-sector hiring data, job openings, and independent figures tracking manufacturing activity.
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