Dow Jones crashes over 500 points as UnitedHealth tanks, Trump slams Powell for delayed cuts

• UnitedHealth plunges as much as 23% after slashing full-year guidance, dragging healthcare sector and Dow lower.
• Trump criticizes Powell's hesitation, praises ECB rate cut, calls Fed "too late" as inflation fears persist.
• Powell flags difficulty in balancing mandates, fueling stagflation concerns; markets price just 9% chance of May cut.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) on Thursday plunged over 500 points, or over 1.30%, and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares nosedived 23% following an earnings miss and a pessimistic full-year outlook. The DJIA fell below the 39,500 mark, while US President Donald Trump's anger at Fed Chair Jerome Powell reignited following Powell's speech in Chicago.

DJIA drops below 39,500 after UNH earnings shock; Powell's stagflation warning and Trump's Fed critique shake sentiment

Trump commented that the Fed should have lowered rates as oil, groceries and egg prices are moving down. He praised the European Central Bank's (ECB) earlier decision to cut rates but added that the Fed is "too late" to ease policy.

On Wednesday, Fed Chair Powell adopted a cautious stance saying the focus is inflation. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that balancing dual mandates is becoming difficult, suggesting that a stagflationary scenario looms in which prices rise even though economic growth stalls.

Read more: UnitedHealth stock caves 22% as its cuts full-year guidance

The US jobs market remains solid following the Initial Jobless Claims report for April 12. Meanwhile, housing data was mixed, with Building Permits showing that plans for building houses increased, while Housing Starts showed that home construction is slowing down.

Meanwhile, President Trump said he is very confident about a trade deal with the European Union (EU) and China.

Meanwhile, recent data suggested that traders see a 9% chance of a Fed rate cut at the May meeting. Therefore, US equities remain subject to trade tensions and geopolitical shocks.

Dow Jones price forecast

The Dow Jones remains bearishly biased, with the index falling below the 39,000 mark for the first time in five trading days. Nevertheless, bulls remain stubborn and lifted the index above the 39,000 figure, which could pave the way for some consolidation within the 39,000-40,000 mark.

If bulls push the Dow above 39,984, this would turn the index positive and pave the way to test 40,000. A breach of the latter clears the path toward 40,500, followed by the next key resistance at the April 1 high at 40,909 and 41,000.

On the downside, a drop below 39,000 means traders will target the April 10 daily low of 38,431.