CORRECTED - Wall Street slips as investors take profits after record day

Image
Reuters
Last Updated : Mar 02 2017 | 9:22 PM IST

(Corrects analyst's name in paragraph 6)

By Yashaswini Swamynathan

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks slipped on Thursday as investors booked profits after a record day on Wall Street that propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 21,000 for the first time ever.

Wall Street's main indexes on Wednesday posted their best day since the November election, boosted by President Donald Trump's more measured tone in a speech to Congress and as bank stocks surged on increased chances of an interest rate hike this month.

A report from the Labor Department on Thursday showed that the number of Americans who applied for jobless claims fell to a 44-year low last week, pointing to continued strength in the labor market.

The data supported a flurry of encouraging comments on the economy from Federal Reserve officials that nudged the markets to price in higher chances of an interest rate hike in two weeks. Fed Chair Janet Yellen is set to speak on Friday.

Fed Board Governor Lael Brainard, who is typically dovish on rates, said on Wednesday that a move on rates could come "soon".

"Even on the Federal Reserve Board, the last of the doves is finally acknowledging that if things seem strong enough we've got some cover here to move," Mike Mussio, president of FBB Capital Partners.

The odds for a move this month jumped to 74 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

At 9:36 a.m. ET (1436 GMT) the Dow was down 27.9 points, or 0.13 percent, at 21,087.65, the S&P 500 was down 6.77 points, or 0.28 percent, at 2,389.19 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 16.47 points, or 0.28 percent, at 5,887.56.

Oil prices fell more than 1.7 percent following a report that showed U.S. crude oil stocks hit an all-time high. [O/R]

Ten of the major S&P 500 indexes were lower, led by a 0.5 percent decline in the energy sector.

Financials, which would benefit in a higher rate environment, were the outliers.

Investors are awaiting the trading debut of Snap Inc, the owner of popular messaging app Snapchat, on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker. Snap on Wednesday priced its initial public offering above its target range, raising $3.4 billion and giving the company a $24 billion valuation.

Shares of Kroger dropped 4.2 percent to $30.71, weighing the most on the S&P 500, after the supermarket operator reported a surprise decline in holiday-quarter same-store sales.

Monster Beverage was the biggest percentage gainer on the S&P, rising 11.7 percent following a quarterly revenue that beat analysts' average estimate.

Broadcom rose 3.5 percent to $222.76 after the chipmaker reported quarterly revenue above analysts' expectations.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 1,997 to 602. On the Nasdaq, 1,553 issues fell and 640 advanced.

The S&P 500 index showed 15 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 50 new highs and 14 new lows.

(Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 02 2017 | 9:14 PM IST

Next Story