Wall Street Rollercoaster: UnitedHealth Crash Drags Down Dow Amid Fed Uncertainty

Hang on tight, folks! U.S. stocks were all over the place Thursday, with the Dow taking a nosedive thanks to a brutal hit from UnitedHealth. That's right, the health giant's shares plummeted 23% after slashing its profit forecast, dragging the Dow down a whopping 1.2% - that's about 500 points in the red!

Meanwhile, investors were wrestling with ongoing trade tensions and mixed signals from the Fed about those elusive interest rate cuts. The S&P 500 managed to eke out a 0.2% gain, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq couldn't keep up, dipping about 0.13%. And speaking of tech, Nvidia took another hit as the U.S. tightened the screws on chip sales to China.

Trump vs. Powell: The Showdown Continues

All eyes were glued to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who threw cold water on hopes for quick rate cuts. He warned that higher tariffs could slam the brakes on growth and send inflation soaring. But Powell played it cool, saying the Fed would wait for more clarity on trade policy before making any moves.

President Trump wasn't having it. He cranked up the heat on Powell, saying his "termination cannot come fast enough" and even floated the idea of replacing him with former Fed governor Kevin Warsh. Talk about adding fuel to the fire!

But it wasn't all doom and gloom. Chipmaker TSMC blew past expectations with a mind-blowing 60% jump in Q1 net profit, thanks to the insatiable demand for AI chips. And investors are eagerly awaiting Netflix's earnings, hoping for a rare bright spot in an otherwise shaky tech sector.

Over in the bond market, 10-year Treasury yields climbed to 4.325%, while the U.S. dollar edged up a bit. And don't forget, stock and bond markets will be taking a breather on Friday for Good Friday.

Last but not least, Bitcoin (BTC) briefly flirted with the $85,000 mark before settling around $84,600. Keep your eyes peeled, crypto fans - this wild ride is far from over!