Nasdaq gives up gain, turns red as it attempts comeback from worst rout since 2020

U.S. stocks struggled Wednesday, a day after the Nasdaq Composite posted a new low for the year, as April’s sell-off continued.

After being up more than 1% on the day, the Nasdaq Composite ticked down 0.2%. The index is coming off its biggest daily loss since September 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was near flat. The S&P 500 was little changed.

Technology stocks rallied Wednesday, with Microsoft leading the comeback after strong earnings results. Microsoft’s shares jumped more than 3% after a better-than-expected quarterly report and optimistic forward revenue guidance.

“We’re trying to find a place of stability,” Kari Firestone, chairman and CEO of Aureus Asset Management, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “We need to see a few more names come in with really strong, reliable and sustainable earnings so investors can get back on board.”

Facebook parent Meta is set to report earnings Wednesday after the bell, with Apple and Amazon reporting earnings Thursday. Investors will be watching to see if tech companies’ results prove the intense selling in April has been misplaced.

Tesla, which was the Nasdaq’s biggest laggard the day prior, added 4%. Salesforce rose more than 2%. Apple and Amazon added 1%.

Shares of Chinese companies also bounced back, dominating the Nasdaq’s leaderboard. Pinduoduo and JD.com both jumped more than 9%. Baidu gained more than 4%.

Solar company Enphase Energy surged 13% and was the top gainer on the S&P 500 after an earnings beat.

On the downside, Google parent Alphabet’s earnings results missed consensus estimates. Management warned on the conference call of another potentially weak quarter ahead. Alphabet shares fell about 4%.

Boeing also saw shares drop more than 8% after an earnings miss.

Meanwhile, shares of Robinhood shed about 3% on Wednesday after the retail brokerage said it is cutting back on staff. The company cited “duplicate roles and job functions” after its rapid expansion last year.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is attempting to claw out of bear market territory, sitting now roughly 22% below its high. The S&P 500 is more than 12% off its record and closed below a key support level of 4200.

In April, the S&P 500 is down about 7%. The Nasdaq has lost about 11%. The Dow has declined more than 3%.

“The confluence of persistent inflation, Fed tightening, the war in Ukraine, and China’s zero-Covid policy lockdowns has manifested in tenacious headwinds for investors in April,” Art Hogan, National Securities chief market strategist, said.