Stock Market Today: Tesla Drags on Stocks Amid Musk-Trump Feud
Sentiment has soured between President Trump and his once-loyal ally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
Stocks struggled for direction Thursday as market participants awaited more details on tariff negotiations between the U.S. and its trading partners.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a roughly 90-minute phone call to discuss trade between the two countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it was "a very good talk," and the two "straightened out" some complexities centered on "rare earths" and "other things."
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
High-level representatives from the U.S. and China will meet again "shortly, according to Trump, to resume trade negotiations.
Signs of rising tensions between the two countries, following news of a short-term trade truce in mid-May, have sparked volatility in the markets.
And while today's price action was up and down, moves were much more modest than we've experienced in recent months.
At the close, the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3% at 42,319, the broader S&P 500 was off 0.5% at 5,939, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was 0.8% lower at 19,298.
Tesla sinks as Musk-Trump rift widens
Tesla (TSLA) was one of the biggest decliners on Thursday, spiraling 14.3% as the split between Trump and Elon Musk grew.
The Tesla CEO recently ended his cost-cutting efforts in Washington, D.C., in order to turn his attention back to his companies.
While Musk seemingly left on good terms with Trump, his recent criticism of the president's "big, beautiful" tax bill has shined light on a widening rift between the two.
For his part, Musk posted on X that the spending bill is a "disgusting abomination" that will bankrupt America.
Trump replied with his own post on Truth Social today, writing that he took away an "EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars," and Elon "just went CRAZY!"
Circle stock soars after IPO
Circle Internet Group (CRCL) had a strong first day of trading, opening at $69 on Thursday.
The stablecoin issuer priced its initial public offering (IPO) late Wednesday at $31 per share – above its prior range of $27 to $28 – and the crypto stock reached an intraday high of $103.75 before settling at $83.23.
Cryptocurrency is in an upswing right thanks to supportive measures from the Trump administration.
And CRCL could get an additional boost if Congress passes the GENIUS Act – a bill aimed at creating a regulatory framework for stablecoins.
The successful offering also bodes well for mobile banking platform Chime, which will price its upcoming IPO this Wednesday, June 11, according to Fortune, and begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "CHYM" on Thursday, June 12.
Jobless claims come in hot
Data from the Labor Department showed that initial jobless claims rose by 8,000 last week to 247,000, more than the 236,000 economists expected.
This is just the latest sign of a cooling labor market and comes ahead of tomorrow morning's release of the May jobs report.
The data are expected to show the U.S. added 125,000 nonfarm payrolls in April.
Job growth has been a tailwind for the U.S. economy, says Scott Helfstein, head of investment at Global X, and this makes Friday's report "particularly important in the battle of hard fundamental data versus high frequency survey data."
Related content
- Actively Managed Vanguard Funds to Buy and Hold
- Chime IPO: Should You Buy CHYM Stock?
- Best Cheap Stocks (Under $10) to Buy Now
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

With over a decade of experience writing about the stock market, Karee Venema is the senior investing editor at Kiplinger.com. She joined the publication in April 2021 after 10 years of working as an investing writer and columnist at a local investment research firm. In her previous role, Karee focused primarily on options trading, as well as technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis.
-
The New Reality for EntertainmentThe Kiplinger Letter The entertainment industry is shifting as movie and TV companies face fierce competition, fight for attention and cope with artificial intelligence.
-
Stocks Sink With Alphabet, Bitcoin: Stock Market TodayA dismal round of jobs data did little to lift sentiment on Thursday.
-
Betting on Super Bowl 2026? New IRS Tax Changes Could Cost YouTaxable Income When Super Bowl LX hype fades, some fans may be surprised to learn that sports betting tax rules have shifted.
-
Stocks Sink With Alphabet, Bitcoin: Stock Market TodayA dismal round of jobs data did little to lift sentiment on Thursday.
-
The 4 Estate Planning Documents Every High-Net-Worth Family Needs (Not Just a Will)The key to successful estate planning for HNW families isn't just drafting these four documents, but ensuring they're current and immediately accessible.
-
Love and Legacy: What Couples Rarely Talk About (But Should)Couples who talk openly about finances, including estate planning, are more likely to head into retirement joyfully. How can you get the conversation going?
-
How to Get the Fair Value for Your Shares When You Are in the Minority Vote on a Sale of Substantially All Corporate AssetsWhen a sale of substantially all corporate assets is approved by majority vote, shareholders on the losing side of the vote should understand their rights.
-
Dow Leads in Mixed Session on Amgen Earnings: Stock Market TodayThe rest of Wall Street struggled as Advanced Micro Devices earnings caused a chip-stock sell-off.
-
How to Add a Pet Trust to Your Estate Plan: Don't Leave Your Best Friend to ChanceAdding a pet trust to your estate plan can ensure your pets are properly looked after when you're no longer able to care for them. This is how to go about it.
-
Want to Avoid Leaving Chaos in Your Wake? Don't Leave Behind an Outdated Estate PlanAn outdated or incomplete estate plan could cause confusion for those handling your affairs at a difficult time. This guide highlights what to update and when.
-
I'm a Financial Adviser: This Is Why I Became an Advocate for Fee-Only Financial AdviceCan financial advisers who earn commissions on product sales give clients the best advice? For one professional, changing track was the clear choice.