US equity markets ripped higher, with the benchmark indices all rallying more than >7% and closing near their session highs amid signs that the coronavirus pandemic is peaking in multiple regions - Dow soared +1,627-points or +7.73%, with Boeing Co (up +19.8%) the leading index performer. Raytheon Technologies Corp (up +15.28%), American Express Co (+13.95%) and Visa Inc (+11.58%) rose more than 11% each JP Morgan Chase & Co rose +6.44% after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jamie Dimon said in his annual letter to shareholders that the bank had sufficient capital to get through even the most adverse scenario, but conceded the bank’s 2020 earnings would be “meaningfully” lower. The broader S&P500 jumped +7.03%, with Information Technology (up +8.78%) leading all eleven primary sectors higher. Seven of the eleven primary S&P500 sectors posted gains of over >7%. . Carnival Corp surged +20.26% after the Saudi Arabia-based sovereign-wealth fund The Public Investment Fund disclosed it had acquired an 8.2% stake in the cruise operator, making it the third biggest shareholder in the company. Kraft Heinz Co rose +2.28% in the extended session after the food company said it expects a +3% rise in first-quarter sales (and an ~6% rise in organic sales) and postponed its upcoming investor day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The S&P 500 has bounced more than >21% from an intraday low (2,191.86) set on 23 March. The NASDAQ +7.26%. The overnight gains marked the biggest one-day percentage gain for all three stock indexes since 24 March, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
