New York: US stocks fell on Tuesday, on concerns about the economy after a report showed consumer confidence hit a 16-year low and as a profit warning from United Parcel Service stoked fears about corporate results.
But trading volume was thin, with investors hesitant to place any big bets as they wait to see whether or not the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates on hold as expected Wednesday.
Inflation worries also loomed as the price of oil rose and the Fed began a meeting whose policy statement could underscore the central bank's growing unease about price pressures.
Shares of big manufacturers, seen as economic bellwethers, fell, with Caterpillar Inc down 4 per cent. UPS shares were a top drag on the S&P 500, sliding 6 per cent.
Besides grappling with a slowing economy, companies also face pressure from soaring fuel costs, which prompted Dow Chemical Co, the biggest US chemicals manufacturer, to announce price increases of as much as 25 per cent on its products.
"I think the market is starting to price in a higher likelihood of a recession and the UPS forecast certainly points to a much slower economy," said Paul Nolte, director of investments at Hinsdale Associates, in Hinsdale, Illinois.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 34.93 points, or 0.29 per cent, to close at 11,807.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 3.71 points, or 0.28 per cent, at 1,314.29, while the Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC slid 17.46 points, or 0.73 per cent, to end at 2,368.28.
UPS shares fell to $62.26, a five-year low, after the package delivery company cut its second-quarter earnings outlook late on Monday, citing slow economic growth and high fuel costs.
The US corporate profit outlook is deteriorating rapidly, Thomson Reuters Proprietary Research showed on Tuesday, with S&P 500 earnings for the second quarter now seen falling at a double-digit pace from a year earlier.
Shares of Caterpillar, the maker of bulldozers and excavators, fell to $76.64 on the New York Stock Exchange, while plane maker Boeing's shares dropped 1.1 per cent to $74.79.
Dow Chemical shares fell 2.8 per cent to $36.58.
A gain in financial shares helped keep losses in check. The S&P financial index , which is down nearly 12 per cent this month, climbed 1.5 per cent, led by Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase & Co. The biggest per centage gains were among regional banks, such as SunTrust, as investors looked for bargains in the beaten-down sector.
JP Morgan shares rose 2.3 per cent to $37.72, while Wells Fargo gained 3.9 per cent to $25.20. SunTrust shares jumped 4.1 per cent to $37.40.
Yahoo shares were active, rising as much as 11 per cent before giving up most of those gains to end up 2.8 per cent at $22.04 on the Nasdaq. Technology blog TechCrunch said Yahoo's talks with Microsoft Corp were back on, citing unnamed sources. But CNBC, also citing unnamed sources, said there was no deal 'whatsoever' on the table.
Apart from the decline in consumer confidence, investors also got an update on housing. According to the Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller home price index, US home prices extended their record slide in April, but the pace of decline ebbed in the month.
Trading was light on the New York Stock Exchange, with about 1.34 billion shares changing hands, below last year's estimated daily average of roughly 1.90 billion, while on Nasdaq, about 2.19 billion shares traded, just above last year's daily average of 2.17 billion.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones by a ratio of about 2 to 1 on the NYSE and about 3 to 1 on Nasdaq.
But trading volume was thin, with investors hesitant to place any big bets as they wait to see whether or not the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates on hold as expected Wednesday.
Inflation worries also loomed as the price of oil rose and the Fed began a meeting whose policy statement could underscore the central bank's growing unease about price pressures.
Shares of big manufacturers, seen as economic bellwethers, fell, with Caterpillar Inc down 4 per cent. UPS shares were a top drag on the S&P 500, sliding 6 per cent.
Besides grappling with a slowing economy, companies also face pressure from soaring fuel costs, which prompted Dow Chemical Co, the biggest US chemicals manufacturer, to announce price increases of as much as 25 per cent on its products.
"I think the market is starting to price in a higher likelihood of a recession and the UPS forecast certainly points to a much slower economy," said Paul Nolte, director of investments at Hinsdale Associates, in Hinsdale, Illinois.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 34.93 points, or 0.29 per cent, to close at 11,807.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 3.71 points, or 0.28 per cent, at 1,314.29, while the Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC slid 17.46 points, or 0.73 per cent, to end at 2,368.28.
UPS shares fell to $62.26, a five-year low, after the package delivery company cut its second-quarter earnings outlook late on Monday, citing slow economic growth and high fuel costs.
The US corporate profit outlook is deteriorating rapidly, Thomson Reuters Proprietary Research showed on Tuesday, with S&P 500 earnings for the second quarter now seen falling at a double-digit pace from a year earlier.
Shares of Caterpillar, the maker of bulldozers and excavators, fell to $76.64 on the New York Stock Exchange, while plane maker Boeing's shares dropped 1.1 per cent to $74.79.
Dow Chemical shares fell 2.8 per cent to $36.58.
A gain in financial shares helped keep losses in check. The S&P financial index , which is down nearly 12 per cent this month, climbed 1.5 per cent, led by Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase & Co. The biggest per centage gains were among regional banks, such as SunTrust, as investors looked for bargains in the beaten-down sector.
JP Morgan shares rose 2.3 per cent to $37.72, while Wells Fargo gained 3.9 per cent to $25.20. SunTrust shares jumped 4.1 per cent to $37.40.
Yahoo shares were active, rising as much as 11 per cent before giving up most of those gains to end up 2.8 per cent at $22.04 on the Nasdaq. Technology blog TechCrunch said Yahoo's talks with Microsoft Corp were back on, citing unnamed sources. But CNBC, also citing unnamed sources, said there was no deal 'whatsoever' on the table.
Apart from the decline in consumer confidence, investors also got an update on housing. According to the Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller home price index, US home prices extended their record slide in April, but the pace of decline ebbed in the month.
Trading was light on the New York Stock Exchange, with about 1.34 billion shares changing hands, below last year's estimated daily average of roughly 1.90 billion, while on Nasdaq, about 2.19 billion shares traded, just above last year's daily average of 2.17 billion.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones by a ratio of about 2 to 1 on the NYSE and about 3 to 1 on Nasdaq.
No comments:
Post a Comment