In this Jan. 3, 2020 file photo, the Wall St. street sign is framed by U.S. flags flying outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York. Global stocks are down, Friday, April 3, after the U.S. government said employers cut 701,000 jobs in March as they shut down or sharply curtailed business due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
By Stan Choe
Stocks jumped in early trading on Wall Street Thursday after the Federal Reserve launched its latest unprecedented effort to support the economy through the coronavirus outbreak.
The central bank undertook actions to provide up to $2.3 trillion in loans to households, local governments and small and large businesses as the country tips into what economists say may be the worst recession in decades. It’s the latest massive move by the Fed, which has been rushing to ensure cash can get to parts of the economy that need it after lending markets got snarled earlier by a rush among investors to pull cash out of the system.
The stock market is not the economy, and that distinction has become even more clear this week. The S&P 500 jumped 1.9% in early trading Thursday, the same day the government announced 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs sweep the nation.
That’s because stock investors are continuously looking ahead a few months to the future. They sent stocks down by a third from mid-February into late March, before the economy really began to crunch.
And in recent weeks, they’ve sent the market back up more than 20% following the massive aid promised by the Fed, other central banks and governments around the world, even as evidence piles up that the fears of a recession were prescient. This week, some investors have also begun to look ahead to the possibility that parts of the economy could reopen amid signs the outbreak may be peaking or plateauing in several of the world’s hardest-hit areas.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 455 points, or 1.9%, to 23,879, as of 9:50 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq was up 1.5%.
The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of more than 12% for the holiday-shortened week. That would be its best performance since 1974. U.S. stock markets are closed on Friday for the Good Friday holiday.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
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