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AT&T (T.N) shares dropped 10.4% after the wireless carrier missed market estimates for first-quarter revenue and free cash flow. The S&P 500's rally to start the year is set to be tested by a first-quarter earnings season that investors expect to show tepid results. “The market has been overbought for the last week or two," said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. In other earnings news, American Express Co (AXP.N) profit missed Wall Street estimates and its shares fell 1%. Shares of Lam Research (LRCX.O) rose 7.2% after the chip-making equipment supplier's revenue topped estimates, while shares of D.R.

Major equity indexes have been largely stable during the early stages of a first-quarter earnings season that investors expect to show tepid results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 79.62 points, or 0.23%, to 33,897.01; the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 0.35 points, or 0.01%, at 4,154.52; and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 3.81 points, or 0.03%, at 12,157.23. The defensive utilities group (.SPLRCU) gained most among S&P 500 sectors, rising 0.8%. S&P 500 companies overall are expected to post a 4.8% decline in first-quarter earnings from the year-earlier period, according to Refinitiv IBES. The S&P 500 posted 16 new 52-week highs and one new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 59 new highs and 123 new lows.

Major equity indexes have been largely stable during the early stages of a first-quarter earnings season that investors expect to show tepid results. The defensive utilities group (.SPLRCU) gained most among S&P 500 sectors, rising 0.7%. S&P 500 companies overall are expected to post a 4.8% decline in first-quarter earnings from the year-earlier period, according to Refinitiv IBES. Shares of Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) surged 23% after the company posted stronger-than-expected earnings, helping lift the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE.P) 4%. The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 48 new highs and 111 new lows.

The two-year Treasury yield , most reflective of short-term rate expectations, hit a one-month high and the 10-year yield hit a four-week high as traders scaled back expectations of rate cuts later this year. Earnings from regional banks were mixed, with Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) falling 3.4% after its first-quarter results missed estimates. Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) rallied 17.3% after the regional bank posted stronger-than-expected earnings and said its deposits had stabilized after the March banking crisis. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 3.70-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.40-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 10 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 17 new highs and 57 new lows.

J&J (JNJ.N) shares fell 2.8% after the healthcare conglomerate cautioned investors over the lingering impact of inflation-driven costs this year. Goldman (GS.N) shares dropped 1.7% after the Wall Street firm's profit fell 19% as dealmaking and bond trading slumped. The early quarterly results from S&P 500 companies come as investors have been bracing for a gloomy reporting season, fearing the economy may be on the cusp of a downturn. S&P 500 company earnings are expected to have declined 4.8% in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to Refinitiv IBES data as of Friday. The S&P 500 posted 28 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 66 new highs and 143 new lows.

Wall Street closed lower on Friday after mixed economic data appeared to affirm another Fed rate hike in May, dampening investor enthusiasm after a series of big U.S. bank earnings launched the first-quarter reporting season. Other major U.S. banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) will report through the week. "Regional bank earnings will come in very slightly positive, while bigger banks will probably post surprisingly positive results," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. Prometheus Biosciences Inc (RXDX.O) rallied 69.5% on Merck & Co's (MRK.N) plans to buy the biotech company for about $10.8 billion. The S&P index recorded nine new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 29 new highs and 55 new lows.

☆ Wall St dips to lower close as rate hike bets firm, banks jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today we're taking bit of a breather," said Sal Bruno, chief investment officer at IndexIQ in New York. Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) beat earnings expectations, benefiting from rising interest rates and easing fears of stress in the banking system. The S&P 500 banking sector (.SPXBK) jumped 3.5% and JPMorgan Chase surged 7.6%, its biggest one-day percentage gain since Nov. 9, 2020. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended the session lower, with real estate (.SPLRCR) falling most. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 47 new highs and 205 new lows.

☆ Wall St slides as rate hike expectations firm, banks surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"As expected, the bigger banks were probably not harmed that much by the regional banking turmoil, and possibly even beneficiaries of it," Mayfield added. "We saw mostly strong and healthy balance sheets, and it's pretty clear (the regional banking) crisis isn't systemic." The S&P 500 banking sector (.SPXBK) jumped 3.4% and JPMorgan Chase surged 7.3%, setting itself up for its biggest one-day percentage gain since Nov. 9, 2020. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, financials (.SPSY) were the sole gainers. The S&P 500 posted nine new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 37 new highs and 182 new lows.

JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. lender by assets, reported a first-quarter profit that beat estimates with interest income offseting weakness in dealmaking. PNC shares were last down 1.9% while Zions was off 3.3% and Comerica Inc (CMA.N) shares fell 3.0%. First Republic shares fell 1.5%. Citi shares rose 4.2% and Bank of America was up 3.0% as their investors appeared to be encouraged by JPM's news. Morgan Stanley shares rose 0.9% while Goldman shares were up 1.1%.

The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) surged 3.3% to a one-month high, while the KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) rose 0.8%. Bank stocks lag S&P 500 this yearDampening the mood, however, data showed retail sales fell more than expected in March as consumers cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, raising fears of an economic slowdown. "The retail sales are kind of a disappointment," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. Following Friday's retail sales data, traders stuck to bets the U.S. central bank will raise rates by another 25 basis points in May. The S&P index recorded six new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 14 new highs and 25 new lows.

☆ Wall St surges as inflation, labor data raise Fed pause hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Data released before the bell showed a steeper-than-expected cooldown in producer prices and new claims for jobless benefits coming in above consensus. Both signal that the Fed's hawkish barrage of rate hikes, which began over a year ago, is working as intended. Analysts expect aggregate first-quarter S&P 500 earnings to come in 5.2% below the year-ago quarter, a stark reversal from the 1.4% year-on-year growth seen at the beginning of the quarter, according to Refinitiv. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, communication services (.SPLRCL) was up the most, while industrials (.SPLRCI) and materials (.SPLRCM), outperformers in recent sessions, suffered the steepest percentage declines. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 58 new highs and 121 new lows.

A Labor Department report showed producer prices unexpectedly fell in March as the cost of gasoline declined, and there were signs that underlying producer inflation was subsiding. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) has traded in a tight range this month, having recovered from a selloff in March fueled by the recent banking crisis, as investors assessed the path for U.S. interest rates. Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday after data showed consumer prices rose at a slower-than-expected pace in March, however, core prices remained sticky and supported the case for another 25-basis point rate hike by the Fed in May. Communication services (.SPLRCL), consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) and technology shares (.SPLRCT) led the gains among major S&P 500 (.SPX) sector indexes, while economy-sensitive stocks such as industrials (.SPLRCI) were among the worst hit. Financial companies that are part of the S&P 500 are expected to report a profit growth of 4.3% in the first quarter.

A Labor Department report showed producer prices unexpectedly fell in March as the cost of gasoline declined, and there were signs that underlying producer inflation was subsiding. Jobless claims were also favorable news for the Fed," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York. Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday after data showed consumer prices rose at a slower-than-expected pace in March, however, core prices remained sticky and supported the case for another 25-basis point rate hike by the Fed in May. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to record a profit decline of 5.2% in the first quarter, as per Refinitiv IBES data, in what could be their worst showing since the third quarter of 2020. Financial companies that are part of the S&P 500 are expected to report a profit growth of 4.3% in the first quarter.

☆ Wall Street closes lower after Fed minutes, inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The minutes followed a cooler-than-expected inflation report which belied stickier underlying data and cemented the likelihood of another policy rate hike when the Fed convenes next month. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid"(Economic) data has been very mixed so investors are overacting to any positive or negative hint of Fed rate hike policy. Analysts now expect aggregate first-quarter S&P 500 earnings down 5.2% year-on-year, a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth seen at the beginning of the quarter. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended in negative territory, with consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) suffering the largest percentage loss. The S&P 500 posted 12 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 64 new highs and 187 new lows.

However, the major benchmarks shed gains quickly, briefly turning lower, as investors focused on underlying inflation pressures which rose in line with economists' estimates. US inflation, Fed rates and MarketsRichmond Fed President Thomas Barkin also poured cold water on market optimism after flagging that there was still time before inflation falls back to the Fed's 2% goal. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said there was "more work to do" on Fed rate hikes. Among the 11 major S&P sectors, consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) was the worst hit, while materials (.SPLRC) and healthcare (.SPXHC) were the top gainers. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Labor Department data showed headline and core CPI in March rose 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, on a month-on-month basis. Stubbornly high rents kept underlying inflation pressures simmering, likely ensuring that the U.S. central bank will raise interest rates again next month. US inflation, Fed rates and MarketsMajor technology and other growth stocks such as Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) edged higher as Treasury yields slipped. Minutes from the U.S. central bank's policy meeting in March will also be watched closely by investors later in the day for further clues on the trajectory of interest rates. The Fed raised rates by 25 bps last month and signaled it was on the verge of pausing further rate hikes.

☆ Wall St ends mixed as inflation data comes into focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The bellwether S&P 500 ended essentially unchanged. "With huge inflation data tomorrow, Fed minutes coming out soon and earnings right around the corner, traders are taking a wait and see approach to see how the inflation data comes in." Analysts expect aggregate first-quarter S&P 500 earnings falling 5.2% year-on-year, a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth seen at the beginning of the quarter. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, communication services (.SPLRCL) and tech (.SPLRCT) ended in the red, while energy (.SPNY) and financials (.SPSY) enjoyed the largest percentage gains. The S&P 500 posted nine new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 64 new highs and 118 new lows.

☆ S&P 500 edges higher as investors look to CPI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With a lack of market moving catalysts, investors looked ahead to Wednesday's consumer price index (CPI) for any evidence that the long, slow inflation cooldown continues. Beyond CPI, investors are eyeing first-quarter reporting season, which surges from the starting gate this Friday with results from three major banks, Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N). Analysts expect aggregate first-quarter S&P 500 earnings falling 5.2% year-on-year, a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth seen at the beginning of the quarter. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, energy (.SPNY) and materials (.SPLRCM) were enjoying the biggest percentage gains, while communication services (.SPLRCL) and tech (.SPLRCT) were in the red. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 56 new highs and 86 new lows.

Hopes that the Fed will soon end its aggressive monetary policy tightening campaign spurred a rebound in the S&P 500 this month after the collapse of two U.S. mid-sized lenders sparked a selloff in March. Analysts expect first-quarter profits at S&P 500 companies to fall 5.2% year-on-year, the worst contraction since the third quarter of 2020 and a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth forecast at the beginning of the year, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Remarks later on Tuesday from voting members of the Fed's rate-setting committee will be parsed for more clues on the central bank's policy moves. Seven of the 11 major S&P sectors rose, with gains in material (.SPLRCM) and energy (.SPNY) shares offsetting losses in technology (.SPLRCT) stocks. The S&P index recorded six new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 43 new highs and 72 new lows.

Losses in megacap stocks such as Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq, while gains in industrial stocks such as Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) boosted the Dow. Hopes that the Fed will soon end its aggressive monetary policy tightening helped the S&P 500 stabilize so far in April after the collapse of two U.S. mid-sized lenders sparked a selloff last month. Analysts expect first-quarter profits at S&P 500 companies to fall 5.2% year-on-year, a stark reversal from the 1.4% annual growth expected at the beginning of the year, according to Refinitiv data. Seven of the 11 major S&P sectors rose, with gains in industrial (.SPLRCI) and material (.SPLRCM) shares offsetting losses in technology (.SPLRCT) stocks. The S&P index recorded three new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 32 new highs and 30 new lows.

This comes just days after cooling inflation raised hopes that the Fed could soon end its aggressive monetary tightening. Shares of other energy firms such as Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) were also up 4.9% and 6.0%, respectively, helping drive a 5.2% jump in the energy sector. The tech-heavy Nasdaq recorded its strongest first-quarter jump of 17% since mid-2020. Among other stocks, shares of American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) and Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) edged 0.6% and 1.3% lower on rising crude prices. The S&P index recorded seven new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 40 new highs and 28 new lows.

☆ Indexes jump on inflation data; Nasdaq posts best qtr since 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The quarterly gains came despite a sharp sell-off in bank stocks following the collapse of two regional banks earlier this month and worries about a potential bigger financial crisis. The S&P 500 financial sector (.SPSY) was the quarter's worst-performing sector, posting a 6.1% drop, while the KBW regional bank index (.KRX) fell 18.6% for the period. For the quarter, the Nasdaq jumped 16.8% in its biggest quarterly percentage increase since the three months ended June 2020. The S&P 500 gained 7% and the Dow rose 0.4% in the quarter, based on the latest available data. The S&P 500 posted 19 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 81 new highs and 131 new lows.

☆ Nasdaq set for best qtr since 2020, latest inflation data a boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P 500 (.SPX) was on track to post a second straight quarter of gains, led by the technology sector's (.SPLRCT) 20% rise. The quarterly gains came despite a sharp sell-off in bank stocks following the collapse of two regional banks earlier this month. "The equity market seems to be delighted with the slight tick lower in inflation, as it should be. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 266.83 points, or 0.81%, to 33,125.86, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 38.09 points, or 0.94%, at 4,088.92 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 152.08 points, or 1.27%, at 12,165.56. The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 69 new highs and 106 new lows.

Among major S&P 500 sectors, technology (.SPLRCT) has quarterly gains of about 20%, while the financials index (.SPSY) is set for its worst quarter since June. A closely watched Commerce Department report on Friday showed U.S. consumer spending rose moderately in February, while inflation also cooled. Limiting gains, Micron Technology (MU.O) dropped 2.7% after news that China was set to review the chipmaker's products sold in the country. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 5.73-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 2.76-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 14 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 57 new highs and 98 new lows.

Bank shares rebounded sharply on Monday after First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) said it would acquire the deposits and loans of Silicon Valley Bank, whose collapse earlier this month sparked a selloff in the sector. "The fact that we've got answers on Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Credit Suisse means that we have more answers than questions," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth in Boston. Lawmakers are expected to put U.S. bank regulators on the defensive over the unexpected failures of regional lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank when they testify before Congress later on Tuesday. The S&P 500 and Dow rose on Monday after the SVB deal was announced, while the Nasdaq Composite closed lower, led by a decline in technology-related stocks. The S&P index recorded five new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 13 new highs and 40 new lows.

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