U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Friday and the S&P 500 registered an all-time closing high as strong earnings and a blowout January employment report boosted confidence in the economy, even while lowering the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates any time soon. The rally capped a tumultuous week filled with high … Read more
The U.S. stock market’s strong start to the year faces a major test next week in a stretch packed with big tech earnings, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy meeting and the closely-watched employment report. The S&P 500 is up nearly 3% since the end of December and stands near record highs, driven in part by … Read more
Investors’ hopes are running high to start 2024, which could set up U.S. stocks for a rocky stretch if some expectations are not met. Despite a shaky start to the year, the S&P 500 stands only around 2% below a fresh record high. Most investors have maintained a rosy view on everything from the U.S. … Read more
U.S. stocks ended sharply lower for the day and week on Friday as investors worried about more interest rate hikes and the Israel-Hamas conflict spreading. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell more than 1% each. All of the S&P 500 index’s 11 sectors ended lower in broad-based selling, with technology and financials among the biggest … Read more
Emerging-market stocks just crossed another grim milestone: They’ve tumbled to the lowest level in 36 years relative to US equities. MSCI Inc’s benchmark for developing-nation equities slipped to begin the week as Israel’s retaliation against attacks by Hamas sparked fears of a broader conflict between the US and Iran. That took the gauge, as of … Read more
The S&P 500 ended nearly flat on Friday as gains in defensive sectors and energy offset weakness in megacap growth stocks, while investors looked toward next week’s speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Megacap technology-related growth stocks dipped, with Alphabet down 1.9% and Tesla falling 1.7%, as investors fretted that interest rates could stay … Read more
Shares in Asia fluctuate after US stocks ended steady on Thursday, as investors balanced cooling inflation with the prospect interest rates will remain elevated. Australian equities pared early declines while mainland China and Hong Kong shares whipsawed after the opening bell. US equity futures gained ground after the S&P 500 eroded an early advance to … Read more
A U.S. stocks rally is cruising into a month that has proven strong in recent years, though equities must navigate employment data and an earnings season that could be precarious, with the Federal Reserve bent on raising U.S. interest rates. The S&P 500 defied recession fears and a U.S. banking crisis to notch a 15.9% … Read more
Wall Street’s main indexes slipped on Friday as investors digested a mixed bag of earnings reports, while uncertainty around the outlook for U.S. interest rates and the economy kept them on edge. A survey showed U.S. business activity accelerated to an 11-month high in April, at odds with growing signs that the economy was in … Read more
Equity markets worldwide are adjusting to the new normal, marked by persistent inflation leading to higher interest rates. The structure of this inflation, however, is a little complex as there are several factors at play ranging from the war in Europe to issues of China, along with a few long-term challenges such as changing demographics … Read more