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US equity markets edged higher, rebounding late in the session ahead of key inflation figures for March tonight AEST - Dow dipped -9-points or -0.02%. Boeing Co (down -1.89%) fell for a seventh straight session – its longest losing streak since 3 September 2023 - after the company reported that it delivered 83 commercial airplanes in the first quarter, which was its lowest quarterly total in nearly three years and below consensus analyst forecasts for 105 planes. It marked a steep decline from the 157 units it delivered in the fourth quarter and the 130 units it delivered in the first quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, a New York Times report said the US aviation regulator was investigating whistleblower claims about safety issues in the production of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner plane. The company said the claims were “inaccurate”. Intel Corp rose +0.92% after unveiling its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chip, called Gaudi 3. Intel says the new Gaudi 3 chip is over twice as power-efficient as Nvidia Corp’s H100 GPU, and can run AI models one-and-a-half times faster than its competitor’s product. It also comes in different configurations like a bundle of eight Gaudi 3 chips on one motherboard or a card that can slot into existing systems.

US equity markets settled little changed in a subdued start to the week as investors eye key inflation figures on Wednesday night AEST (10 April) - Dow dipped -11-points or -0.03%. Nike Inc (up +1.31%) and Home Depot Inc (+1.17%) both rose over >1%. However,  Intel Corp fell -1.89% as R2 Semiconductor filed a patent infringement lawsuit against its French unit and two of its customers, Dell Technologies Inc (-4.20%) and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co (up +0.78%), in a case that could see the technology giants blocked from importing certain microchips to the country.

US equity markets climbed on Friday (5 April) after a strong jobs report reinforced the view that the economy remains healthy even as it suggested the Federal Reserve could delay cutting interest rates - Dow rose +307-points or +0.80%. Amazon.com Inc climbed +2.82% as a Wedbush survey showed nearly 60% of respondents intended to increase their spending on the platform in 2024, the most of any retailer in the survey. However, Intel Corp fell -2.57%, extending losses into a fifth consecutive session as investors continued to digest its disappointing foundry business financials.

US equity markets fell sharply amid fresh concerns Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates this year against a backdrop of inflationary pressures including climbing oil prices, and ahead of key jobs figures tonight AEST - Dow down -530-points or -1.35%, extending its decline into a fourth straight session and marking the index’s  worst daily percentage drop since 22 March, 2023. Only two of the index’s 30 components settled in positive territory, with Chevron Corp up +0.16% and +%. Boeing Co fell -0.88% following reports it was in talks with competitor Airbus SE to divide the operations of contractor Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc (+0.47%). Walt Disney Co (down -1.59%) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Iger aid Disney+ will be cracking down on password sharing in June, following Netflix Inc's (down -2.05%) lead to boost streaming service profitability.

US equity markets settled little changed following a slew of mixed economic data - Dow slipped -43-points or -0.1%, unwinding an earlier rise of over >135-points to log a third consecutive session decline. Walt Disney Co fell -3.13% after shareholders re-elected all 12 of the entertainment giant's directors at the annual shareholder meeting overnight, dealing activist investor Nelson Peltz defeat in his months-long campaign to claim spots on the board for himself and former chief financial officer Jay Rasulo. Intel Corp tumbled -8.22% as analysts and investors mulled yesterday’s announcement that its foundry business recorded a $7 billion operating loss in 2023. However, Amazon.com Inc rose +0.95% after it said it would lay off hundreds of employees in its Amazon Web Services unit.

US equity markets extended their lackluster start to the new quarter, with the Dow and S&P 500 logging their worst single session performance since 5 March - Dow shed -397-points or -1.00% after falling over >500-points earlier in the session. UnitedHealth Group slumped -6.44% after the government finalised a January proposal to raise payments to Medicare Advantage plans by 3.7% in 2025, a modest increase that analysts expect will crimp insurers’ profits. Honeywell International Inc fell -0.88% amid a report from Bloomberg that the industrial conglomerate was exploring a sale of its personal protective equipment unit.

US equity markets resumed trading following the Good Friday holiday, opening the new quarter on a subdued note following positive manufacturing data that lifted Treasury yields – Dow fell -241-points or -0.60%, marking the sharpest single session decline for the 30-stock index since 22 March.

US equity markets rallied, logging a broad advance in the final hour of the session - Dow rallied +478-points or +1.22%, and is on pace for its best first quarter gain since 2021. Merck & Co rallied +4.96% to be the leading component in the 30-stock index a day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its drug (which will be marketed as Winrevair)  to treat a rare, progressive and life-threatening lung condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension.

US equity markets retreated, with investors eyeing key inflation figures on Friday night AEST (29 March) - Dow slipped -31-points or -0.08%. Boeing Co fell 2.04% as credit rating agency Moody’s said it was considering downgrading some of the jet maker’s debt. Johnson & Johnson added +0.35% amid reports it was in talks to acquire medical device maker Shockwave Medical Inc (+10.04%). Visa Inc slipped -0.22% as it agreed to lower swipe fees to settle a legal battle it and peer Mastercard (up +0.16%) have fought with retailers for decades.