Day Traders Diary

4/14/25

The major averages start to the upside for the week thanks to more encouraging comments about tariff relief for the tech and auto sectors over the weekend from President Donald Trump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 312 points, or 0.8%. The S&P is up 42 points or 0.79% while the Nasdaq Composite rose 107 points or 0.64%.

Investors cheered Trump's exemption of smartphones and computers, as well as other devices and components like semiconductors, from his new "reciprocal" tariffs, according to new U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance issued late Friday.

Apple rose over 3% as one of the main beneficiaries. Dell rose jumped more than 4%. The Technology Select Sector Fund rose more an a percent. 

The autos also had a nice day as President Donald Trump said he is looking to help some of the car companies. Ford Motor, General Motors and Chrysler parent Stellantis higher, swinging from trading level or negative to being up between 3% and 6%.

The broader market performed well. Not many stocks lower today.

A few chip stocks were lower like Broadcom and Nvidia after jumping on the open.

The HMOs were lower, but had a good week last week.

Last week marked one of the most tumultuous trading weeks on record for the Street, with the Cboe Volatility Index spiking above 50. Stocks soared on Wednesday after Trump announced a 90-day reprieve for a number of his new tariff rates, resulting in the S&P 500′s third-biggest one-day gain since World War II.

While stocks advanced last week, all three major averages are still down sharply since the initial tariffs were announced on April 2. Since April 2n, the S&P 500 has dropped 3.8%, while the Nasdaq and Dow have fallen about 4.4% and 4.1%, respectively.