The U.S. economy brought back far fewer jobs than expected in April, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly increased.
The Labor Department released the April jobs report Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main results from the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
Non-farm payrolls, April:+266,000 vs. +1.000 million expected, +916,000 in March
Unemployment rate, April:6.1%vs. 5.8% expected, 6.0% in March
Average hourly earnings, month-over-month, April:0.7%vs. 0.0% expected, -0.1% in March
Average hourly earnings, year-over-year, April:0.3%vs.-0.4% expected, 4.2% in March
Non-farm payrolls rose for a fourth straight month but at a sharply slower-than-expected clip, even as easing social distancing standards across the country helping support the recovery.
Heading into the report, economists expected a blowout payrolls number: Nomura chief economist Lewis Alexander said market participants should brace for a "monster U.S. payroll number" of more than 1 million driven in large part by advances in some of the industries hardest-hit by the pandemic. Leisure and hospitality payrolls were still down by 3.3 million compared to February 2020 levels as of March, but have been making some of the largest gains over the past several months to try and lessen this deficit.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell into negative territory on Friday following a big miss on the April jobs report, but tech stocks jumped higher as Treasury yields dropped sharply.
Dow futures erased earlier gains and dipped 40 points. Contracts tied to the S&P 500 gained 0.3%. Nasdaq 100 futures popped 1.2%.
April’s job report carries extra importanceas the Federal Reserve maintains azero rates policyand othereasing measures inthe face of a recovering economy. As marketplace concerns about inflation brew, some on Wall Street believe an exceptionally strong jobs market report could prove an early sign for the Fed that conditions are finally returning to healthy.
Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket:
Beyond Meat(BYND)– Beyond Meat lost 42 cents per share for the first quarter, more than double the 19 cents per share loss that analysts had expected. Revenue also missed forecasts, with the company saying the pandemic has dampened both retail and restaurant demand. Shares tumbled 7.1% in the premarket.
Peloton(PTON) – Peloton said it would take a current-quarter hit of $165 million for the recently announced recall of its treadmills, and it also cut its sales and profit forecast for the current fiscal year ending June 30. The fitness equipment maker reported a smaller-than-expected loss for its most recent quarter, as well as beating analysts' revenue forecasts. Peloton shares jumped 5.9% in the premarket.
Roku(ROKU) – Roku rallied 8.2% in premarket trading, putting it in a position to end an eight-session losing streak. Roku earned 54 cents per share for the first quarter, compared to consensus forecasts of a 13 cents per share loss. Revenue also beat expectations, and the maker of streaming video devices gave an upbeat forecast as homebound consumers continue to stream more content.
Shake Shack(SHAK) – Shake Shack slid 7.8% in premarket trading after it reported a quarterly profit of 4 cents per share, compared to consensus forecasts of a 9 cents per share loss. The restaurant chain's revenue, however, did fall short of forecasts, and it gave a tepid current-quarter sales outlook as sales in city locations and sports stadiums continue to weigh on overall results.
Cigna(CI) – The insurer reported first-quarter profit of $4.73 per share, beating the $4.38 a share consensus estimate. Revenue also came in above forecasts and Cigna raised its full-year outlook, even as the percentage of premiums it is paying out in medical claims increases.
Cinemark(CNK) – The movie theater chain operator's stock gained 1% in the premarket as it made optimistic comments on theater reopenings and prospects for the summer movie season. Cinemark reported a larger-than-expected loss for its most recent quarter, but revenue came in above analysts' estimates.
Tilray(TLRY) – The cannabis producer's shares surged 8.8% in premarket trading, following a double upgrade by Jefferies to "buy" from "underperform." Jefferies calls the recently completed combination of Tilray and rival Aphria "the perfect match," citing Tilray's scale and Aphria's positioning on the German market.
DraftKings(DKNG)– Shares of the sports betting company were volatile in premarket trading after itreported a smaller-than-expected lossand better-than-expected revenue for the first quarter. DraftKings also raised its full-year sales forecast, saying it is benefiting from recent acquisitions and success in customer acquisition and retention.
Elanco Animal Health(ELAN) – The maker of pharmaceutical products for pets and other animals beat estimates by 14 cents a share, with quarterly earnings of 37 cents per share. Revenue beat estimates as well, and Elanco's full-year adjusted EPS outlook of $1.00 to $1.06 is above the consensus estimate of 95 cents. Elanco said it is continuing to see significant benefits from its August 2019 acquisition of Bayer Animal Health.
Square(SQ)– Square more than doubled the 16 cents a share consensus estimate, with quarterly earnings of 41 cents per share. The mobile payment company's revenue was also substantially above estimates, boosted by surging demand for bitcoin, sparking an increase in transactions on its peer-to-peer payment service Cash App. Square rose 1.9% in premarket action.
Dropbox(DBX)– Dropbox came in 4 cents a share above estimates, with quarterly profit of 35 cents per share. Revenue, as well as average revenue per user, beat forecasts for the online storage service. The key metric of annual recurring revenue was also above Wall Street forecasts. Dropbox gained 2.5% in the premarket.
AMC Entertainment(AMC) – AMC lost $1.42 per share for the first quarter, wider than the loss of $1.30 a share that analysts were anticipating. The movie theater chain operator's revenue missed estimates as well. AMC is anticipating improved business in the summer months, however, thanks to an increase in Covid-19 vaccinations and a slate of big-budget movies set to be released. Its shares added 2.7% in premarket action.
Bill.com(BILL)– Bill.com surged 14.3% in premarket trading after it reported a narrower loss for its latest quarter and better-than-expected sales for its latest quarter. The provider of back-office enterprise software also announced the acquisition of expense management software provider Divvy for $2.5 billion.