US benchmark equity indexes closed lower on Thursday after the latest US unemployment insurance data and unchanged interest rates. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% to 17,668.3, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.3% to 5,658.7. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1% to 41,929.8. The utilities sector had the biggest gains, while materials saw the steepest decline.

US Treasury yields were lower with the 10-year rate losing about 1.7 basis points to 4.24% and the two-year rate was down 1.5 basis points to 3.96%.

May West Texas Intermediate crude oil increased 2% to $68.27 a barrel Thursday.

In economic news weekly applications for unemployment insurance in the US rose less than projected, while continuing claims moved higher, government data showed.

"There will be idiosyncratic layoffs from individual firms that are struggling, but we do not see much evidence that a bigger wave of indiscriminate layoffs in the private sector is coming," Jefferies Chief US Economist Thomas Simons said in a note.

US Existing home sales rebounded unexpectedly in February to a 4.26 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales rose in the South and West regions, fell in the Northeast and held steady in the Midwest.

In company news,

Darden Restaurants was the top performer on the S&P 500, with shares up 5.8%. Wells Fargo and Baird raised price targets on the company's stock despite missing fiscal Q3 revenue estimates.
Jabil increased its full-year outlook after reporting better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results. Its shares were up 3.1%.
Plus Therapeutics shares jumped nearly 170% after it said the US Food and Drug Administration conditionally accepted the proprietary name for its lead tumor therapy candidate.
ProAssurance shares surged 48% a day after it agreed to be acquired by Doctors Co. for about $1.3 billion.
Accenture was among the worst performers on the S&P 500 with shares down 7.3%. Chief Executive Julie Sweet said the company's revenue is being hurt by the Trump administration's efforts to slash US federal government costs. Accenture's Federal Services unit faces a review of contracts as federal agencies move to terminate contracts not deemed critical.

Gold gained 0.4% to $3,052.50 per troy ounce, while silver was down 0.5% to $34.03 per troy ounce.

Portfolio News

Active Trading Portfolio: We closed our SSE position, realizing a 4% return on investment in under four weeks. We are evaluating several FX trade opportunities today, but due to the weekend, we will avoid holding short-term positions. Premium and Pro members will be notified via WhatsApp upon execution of any trades. Check Out the Active Trading Portfolio.
Option Trading Portfolio:
- SPY Financed Bear Put Spread: With two legs of our SPY Financed Bear Put Spread expiring today, the position is showing positive results. If SPY closes below $570, we will have achieved a $1,000 per contract profit on this part of the strategy. If SPY closes outside the $570-$580 range, no action is needed. However, if SPY closes within that range, we will sell the $580 long put. This will leave the $560 short puts, expiring in April, as the remaining position. Pro and Premium members will receive a WhatsApp update by 6 PM GMT if any trades are required.
- Possible New Trades:
  - EUR.USD Futures Options: We're eyeing the EUR/USD and contemplating selling the 1.12 April Calls on the EUR/USD June futures!
  - SPY: We like option trades on SPY to capitalise on this volatility.
    Check Out the Option Trading portfolio.
Buy and Hold Portfolio: Our long-term buy-and-hold portfolio is performing strongly, achieving a 7.18% year-to-date gain. This significantly outperforms the S&P 500, which is down nearly 10%. We will notify Pro and Premium members via WhatsApp immediately upon making new purchases. We have identified over 14 potential stocks for investment once the current sell-off concludes, but we will delay any new acquisitions until after the April 2nd retaliatory tariffs are implemented. Check out out the Buy and Hold Portfolio.