April 2025: Index Performance, Winners, and Losers
- April Indexes – In April 2025, the S&P 500 finished the month with a loss of 0.68%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 3.08%. The Nasdaq Composite rose by a mere 0.88% (source: Y Charts).
- Staying Steady – The April 2025 unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2%, while total nonfarm payroll rose by 177,000 in health care, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and social assistance (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Sad Sectors – The Technology sector posted the largest April 2025 gain at 1.69%, while the Energy sector had the largest loss at -13.86%. The Consumer Discretionary, Communication Services, Real Estate, Financial, Materials, and Health Care sectors also experienced losses in April 2025 (source: Y Charts).
- Uneventful Energy – Enphase Energy reached a new milestone, distributing over 6.5 million IQ Microinverters from U.S. facilities. Despite this achievement, Enphase Energy saw a -28.1% decline in share value in April 2025 (source: Yahoo Finance).
- Gaining Gold – Gold hit another new high on April 21, 2025, at $3,424.41 per ounce. The price per ounce closed at $3,289.16 on April 30, 2025 (source: USA Gold).
- Creeping Crypto – Bitcoin saw a steady price increase in April 2025, gaining 14.5% to $94,256.36. This brings the year-to-date gain from January 1 through April 30 to 1.8% (source: Y Charts).
- Software Superstar – Palantir Technologies had the largest April 2025 price return on the S&P 500 at 40.3%. This brings the company’s year-to-date gain from January 1 through April 30 to 56.6% (source: Yahoo Finance).
- End of an Era – Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has officially decided to step down from his role after 60 years, naming Vice Chairman Greg Abel as the new CEO. The transition is expected to take place at the end of 2025 (source: Reuters).
- AI Empire – A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 50% of U.S. adults agree that AI will have a very large or somewhat large negative impact on the news people get in the U.S. over the next 20 years (source: Pew Research Center).
- Derby King – Sovereignty won the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3. Sovereignty’s team took home $3.1 million out of the $5 million purse (source: ESPN).
This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation regarding any specific product or security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You cannot invest directly in an index. All references to tax or legal matters are provided for informational purposes only. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal.
For current fund holdings, please click on the related fund links included above.
