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The benchmark US indices snapped a four session winning streak last Friday (7 February) but still settled with solid weekly gains after hitting fresh record closing highs earlier in the week - Dow fell -277-points or -0.94%, with Boeing Co (down -1.6%) and Caterpillar Inc (-2.8%) - two economic bellwether stocks – a notable drag on the index. The broader S&P500 fell -0.54%, with Materials (down -1.46%) and Information Technology (-0.98%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors into the red. The technology-centric NASDAQ -0.54%. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Fidelity National Financial fell -6.24% after the company announced plans to buy insurer FGL Holdings in a deal valued at US$2.7B. EBay Inc fell -4.74% after Intercontinental Exchange Inc (up +2.80%) said that it was no longer looking to acquire the company. For the week, the Dow gained +3%, the S&P500 +3.17% (to log its biggest weekly advance in eight months and Nasdaq +4.04% (marking the biggest weekly gain in more than a year).

US equity markets advanced, with all three benchmark indices carving out fresh record closing highs - Dow up +89-points or 0.30% (to 29,379.77) surpassing its previous record closing high (29,348.10) set back on 17 January. Boeing Co (up +3.6%) and Microsoft Inc (+2.1%). were among the leading index performers. The broader S&P500 +0.33% to remain on pace for its biggest weekly gain since June last year. NASDAQ +0.67%. China’s Ministry of Finance confirmed rumours circulating late yesterday AEST in confirming that tariffs on some US goods will be cut from 10% to 5%, and from 5% to 2.5% on others. The adjustments will take effect from 14 February. China’s finance ministry said the tariff cut was timed in conjunction with a U.S. decision last month to halve tariffs on roughly $120 billion worth of Chinese products.

US equity  markets extended their rally into a third straight session - Dow rallied +483-points or +1.68% with United Health and International Business Machines (IBM) The broader S&P500 gained +1.13% to a record closing high (3,334.69), with Energy (up +3.78%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors higher. Real Estate  (down -0.07%) was the only laggard. The index had been down as much as 3.1% earlier in the session. The S&P500 has posted five moves of at least 1% over the past two weeks. Prior to that, the S&P 500 had gone 74 sessions without a move of that magnitude. Ford Motor Co tumbled -9.5% after the company delivered a weaker-than-expected 2020 forecast after the close of the previous session. The NASDAQ added +0.44% to (9,508.68) and also minted a fresh record closing high.  Tesla Inc fell -17.2% after surging over >% in the preceding two sessions alone. A senior executive warned that the coronavirus outbreak in China would delay deliveries of Model 3 cars made at its Shanghai plant.

US equity markets consolidated the solid rebound of the previous session - Dow soared +408-points or +1.4% The broader S&P500 gained +1.51%, with Information Technology (up +2.6%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors higher. Utilities (down -1.03%) was the only laggard. Nike Inc fell -1.4% in extended trading after the company said it has temporarily closed about half of its stores in China because of the coronavirus outbreak. The company said its remaining open stores are operating with reduced hours and have experienced lower than expected retail traffic.

US markets rebounded, by gains in heavyweight technology shares and surprising strength in U.S. manufacturing activity- Dow up +144-points or +0.51% Nike Inc led the Dow higher with a +3.1% rise after analysts at UBS and JPMorgan  Exxon Mobil Corp fell -2.6% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the company to a “Sell” recommendation, citing concerns that the oil giant is on track to come up well short of its target for investment returns. The broader S&P500 +0.73% and the  NASDAQ +1.34%. Tesla Inc surged +19.89% and touched a fresh record high intra-day high (US$786.14). It was the stock’s largest one-day percentage increase since 9 May, 2013, when it rose 24.4%. Argus Research analyst Bill Selesky became the latest analyst to rais his price target on Tesla (to US$808 from US$556 and retaining a ‘Buy’ rating). Tesla shares have gained 132% in the past 12 months, far outperforming advances of 20% and 13% for the S&P 500 and the Dow respectively.

US equity markets fell sharply after President Trump late Friday (31 January) declared a US public health emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak in China, ordering up to a 14-day quarantine for citizens returning from China’s Hubei province and denying entry to some foreigners. - Dow tumbled -603-points or -2.09% The broader S&P500 -1.77%, NASDAQ -1.59%. However, Amazon.com Inc jumped +7.4% after the company posted a quarterly profit and revenue that easily beat analyst expectations. Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud business, saw stronger-than-expected revenues. Apple Inc (down -4.43%) announced over the weekend that it has closed its more than >40 its stores and corporate offices in China until 9 February.  For the week, the Dow lost -2.53%, S&P500 -2.12% and Nasdaq -1.76%.

A strong rebound in the closing hour of trading saw US equity markets settle higher after the benchmark indices spent much of the session in the red  - Dow up +124-points or 0.43%, recovering from an earlier -245-point/-0.9% fall. The broader S&P500 added +0.31%, rebounding from a -0.9% decline. The technology-centric  NASDAQ rose +0.26%

US equity markets settled  little changed  as some solid corporate earnings releases offset ongoing concerns around the coronavirus outbreak - Dow edged +12-points or +0.04% higher, with Apple Inc (up +2.1% and touching an intra-day record high of US$324.34), McDonald’s Corp (+1.9%) and Boeing Co (+1.7%) keeping the index in the black. However, Goldman Sachs Group Inc fell -% after hosting their first even Investor Day. The broader S&P500 dipped -0.09%, while the technology-centric NASDAQ eked out a +0.06% gain. Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc lost -5.9% after posting disappointing data centre sales and providing a soft outlook late in the previous session.

US equity markets bounced back from two days of sharp falls, with Apple Inc leading the recovery  - Dow up +187-points or +0.65% , snapping a five session losing streak. Apple Inc (up +2.8% in regular trading)and Goldman Sachs Inc (+1.86%) were the leading index performers. The broader S&P500 +1.01%, with Information Technology (up +1.87%) and Financials (+1.13%) leading a broad-based rebound that saw all eleven primary sectors close higher. The technology-centric NASDAQ +1.43%, largely recovering from is biggest single session decline since 23 August last year (down -1.90%) a day earlier.

US equity markets ended last week on the back foot as concerns around the spread of the coronavirus rattled investor sentiment  - Dow tumbled -454-points or -1.57%, extending its decline into a fifth straight session logging its worst single session decline since 2 October last year. The index also wiped out its gains for the calendar year. Caterpillar Inc, a bellwether for global growth, fell 3.3% The broader S&P500 also lost -1.57% to record its worst one day drop since 8 October, 2019. The technology-centric NASDAQ shed -1.89%, logging its worst daily fall since 23 August last year. Last Friday (24 January), the  Dow fell -170-points or -0.58%.  Boeing Co recovered from early falls to end +1.7 % higher after a report the aircraft maker may make further cuts to its 787 Dreamliner production. The broader S&P500 lost -0.90%. Airlines were under pressure, with United Airlines Holdings Inc losing -3.5% and American Airlines Group Inc -4% on concern the spread of the virus will limit demand for air travel and tourism NASDAQ -0.93%. Intel Corp jumped +8.13% after the chipmaker reported fourth-quarter earnings after the closing bell last Thursday (23 January) that beat expectations following an upswing in personal-computer shipments and robust demand for chips to power data centres.  For the week, the Dow lost -1.22% and S&P500 -1.03%. The Nasdaq lost -0.79% to snap an six week winning streak.