CNBC Business News Update - Market Midday: Stocks Higher, Bond Yields Pull Back, Price Increase Warning From Walmart Because Of Tariffs 5/15/25

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger.

I'm Jessica Edinger, CNBC, Wall Street trying to be higher this afternoon as bond yields pull back and investors move money into riskier assets. The Dow popping 181 points, almost a half percent. Cisco shares leading that higher this afternoon, they're up almost 6%. The S&P 500 index up 21 points. The NASDAQ up just two points. Nvidia shares down about a third of a percent this afternoon.

Companies whose shares have hit fresh all-time highs today include Netflix, TJ Maxx and Marshall's parent TJX companies, and tractor maker Deere. More people applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. And the continuing claims number went up, suggesting it is taking people who are getting jobless benefits longer to find their next job. Retail sales for April not so hot. Retail sales and what it says about the consumer, which is it was not great for the month of April.

Retail sales only grew 0.1 percent, a big step down than what we got in March. But perhaps not surprising because March, remember bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market.

We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to get a little bit of a jump in the market. We're going to gas stations were weak. It's not the strongest vote of confidence the consumer and I'll just add one more number,

which was the control group, which actually goes into second quarter GDP was negative. That will hurt the more than 2% growth expected. CNBC's Sarah Eisen. Walmart warning that price increases are likely. Later this month. We're wired to keep prices low for customers. But the level of tariffs that have been proposed

is pretty challenging for all retailers, for suppliers. And certainly our concern is that consumers are going to feel some of that. That's Walmart executive vice president John David Rainey on CNBC. Here's CNBC's Carl Quintanilla, Jim Kramer, and David Faber. CFO tells CNBC the tariffs are still too high. And as a result, price hikes could

begin later this month, Jim. He told Courtney Reagan, these tariffs, the magnitude is more than any retailer can absorb, more than any supplier can absorb. They have a very conservative management team. If they're complaining, can you imagine what the other guys are looking like? I mean, they're going to be able to hold the line better

than anyone, with the possible exception of Costco. Fact is, is that if anyone can hold the prices down, it's gonna be warm, hoping down when everybody else home builders not very optimistic about their new construction housing business sentiment is the lowest in three years. Builder sentiment in May fell sharply on the N. A. H. B. S. Index. Builder site growing uncertainties stemming from elevated interest rates, tariff concerns, building material cost uncertainty, and the cloudy economic outlook. 78 percent of builders reported difficulties pricing their homes due to uncertainty around

material costs. 34 percent of builders cut home prices in May. That's up from 29 percent in April and the highest level since December 2023. CNBC's Diana Olek, the second golf major of the year is on round one of the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jessica Ettinger, CNBC. You come to my show and you learn how to do stops. Mad Money, weeknight 6 Eastern, CNBC.