U.S. equity markets experienced mixed trading sessions on April 29 and 30, 2025. On April 29, major indexes closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.75%, the S&P 500 increasing 0.63%, the Nasdaq Composite up 0.66%, and the Russell 2000 gaining 0.60%. Despite this positive close, historical trends indicate that the last trading day of April has been bearish over the past 21 years, particularly for the Nasdaq and Russell 2000, which have declined in 9 of the last 10 years. On April 30, futures pointed to a risk-off sentiment with declines across major indexes: S&P 500 futures fell 1.4%, Nasdaq futures dropped 1.9%, Dow futures decreased 0.9%, and Russell 2000 futures fell 1.8%. The opening bell on April 30 reflected these declines, with the S&P 500 down 1.32%, Nasdaq down 2.00%, Dow down 0.74%, and Russell 2000 down 1.54%. However, by the closing bell on April 30, the Dow and S&P 500 partially recovered, closing up 0.35% and 0.07% respectively, while the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 remained slightly negative, down 0.01% and 0.59%. The energy sector, particularly oil and gas, lagged during these sessions. Market volatility, as measured by the VIX, decreased, closing below its 50-day moving average on April 29. Precious metals showed mixed performance with gold down 0.15% and silver up 0.68%, while Bitcoin declined 0.41%. Oil prices dropped by 3.08% amid the broader market uncertainty.