LIVE MARKETS-US stocks end lower with Walmart, banks, more tariff announcements

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U.S. STOCKS END LOWER WITH WALMART, BANKS, MORE TARIFF ANNOUNCEMENTS

The three major U.S. stock indexes ended lower on Thursday, with the Dow .DJI falling around 1% as Walmart WMT.N dropped on a disappointing sales forecast, while the S&P 500 banks index .SPXBK registered its biggest daily percentage drop since mid-December.

The S&P 500 index .SPX snapped a two-day streak of closing record highs. The S&P financials index .SPSY fell about 1.6% and led declines among major sectors, followed by consumer discretionary .SPLRCD, which was down 1.1%.

Walmart's guidance fueled investor worries over consumer demand and what President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements could mean for inflation and the consumer.

Adding to his list of tariff announcements, Trump said Wednesday that he will announce tariffs related to lumber, cars, semiconductors, chips and pharmaceuticals "over the next month or sooner."

Aiding the downward move, shares of Target TGT.N fell 2% after a lawsuit alleging the company hid risks of its diversity initiatives. The State Board of Administration of Florida, an agency overseeing public pension funds that own Target shares, claimed in the lawsuit the company misled investors about environmental and diversity mandates.

Here is the closing market snapshot:

(Caroline Valetkevitch)

FOR THURSDAY'S EARLIER LIVE MARKETS POSTS:

FED MAY STILL BE ABLE TO CUT RATES THIS YEAR DESPITE TARIFFS - CLICK HERE

CONCERNED ABOUT INFLATION? TURN TO THESE ASSETS SHORTER-TERM, AND LONGER-TERM - CLICK HERE

MEXICO, THAILAND, MALAYSIA MOST AT RISK AMONG EMERGING MARKETS FROM US TARIFFS - CLICK HERE

THURSDAY DATA: JOBLESS CLAIMS, PHILLY FED, LEADING ECONOMIC INDEX - CLICK HERE

NAVIGATING THE MARKET MAZE: S&P 500, TRUMP POLICIES AND MAG 7 - CLICK HERE

US INDEXES FALL EARLY AS WALMART FORECAST DISAPPOINTS - CLICK HERE

TECH VS FINANCIALS: THIS DOGFIGHT IS GETTING INTERESTING - CLICK HERE

UBS EXPECTS BOE TO DELIVER ONLY THREE RATE CUTS THIS YEAR AFTER DATA - CLICK HERE

CHINA STOCKS HAVE MORE ROOM TO RUN, SAYS MORGAN STANLEY - CLICK HERE

IS THE RALLY IN CEMENT STOCKS BUILT ON SHAKY FOUNDATIONS? - CLICK HERE

GERMAN DEBT BRAKE: DON'T FORGET THE ESCAPE CLAUSE - CLICK HERE

EUROPEAN SHARES MIXED, DEFENCE STOCKS TAKE A BREATHER - CLICK HERE

EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: UKRAINE, TARIFFS, EARNINGS IN FOCUS AS FUTURES INCH UP - CLICK HERE

GOLD AND YEN BASK IN THE LIMELIGHT - CLICK HERE