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US stocks slipped on Wednesday, reversing gains late in trading after Wall Street fell short of extending its winning streak to six days. Gains were kept in check as investors digested weak earnings from shipping giant Fed Ex.
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded slightly lower, falling 0.04% and 0.1%, respectively. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hit intraday all-time highs, with the latter index the only one of the three ending higher, up just 0.05%. The S&P 500 has rallied more than 27% year to date and is on pace for its biggest one-year gain since 2013. The Dow and Nasdaq have surged in 2019 by 21% and 33%, respectively.

US equity markets eked out modest gains to climb for a fifth straight session and extend their winning streak, with strong housing and manufacturing data bolstering investor confidence in the economy - Dow up +31-points or 0.11%. The broader S&P500 edged +0.03% higher (to 3,192.52). Boeing Co closed flat after confirming late Monday (16 December) it would suspend production of its 737 MAX jetliner. The technology-centric NASDAQ added +0.07% (to 8,823.36). Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged their fourth consecutive record closing highs, the longest such streak since August 2018. Netflix Inc gained +3.7% after the streaming giant disclosed strong membership growth numbers in key regions, including Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Apple Inc rose +0.2% to log another record high.

The benchmark US equity indices carved out another round of record intra-day and closing highs amid ongoing US-China trade-related optimism - Dow up +100-points or +0.36% to 28,235.82. Boeing Co fell -4.3% after The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday (15 December) the company was nearing a decision on possibly halting or cutting production of the 737 Max. The report follows Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson telling CNBC last week the 737 Max jet’s return was unlikely to be cleared until 2020.  The broader S&P500 gained +0.71% (to 3,191.45), with Energy (up +1.43%), Utilities (+1.29%) and Health Care (+1.08%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors higher, with Industrials (down -0.03%) the only laggard. The technology-centric NASDAQ rose +0.91% (to 8,814.32), with Tesla Inc (up +6.45%) the best index performer. Both the S&P500 and Nasdaq logged their third consecutive record closing highs. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Intel Corp fell -0.2% after the chip maker announced it had acquired artificial-intelligence firm Habana Labs for $2B to deepen its push into the data-centre business. Separately, Uber Technologies Inc climbed +5.5% after news reports said the ride-hailing app company was in talks to sell its food-delivery business in India to a local competitor.

US markets settled little changed after all three benchmark indices hit fresh record intra-day highs earlier in the session, with some of the initial euphoria around the phase one trade deal fading - Dow inched +3-points or +0.01% higher, paring an earlier 159-point/+0.6% rally. The broader S&P500 eked out a +0.01% gain and record closing high (3,168.80). The index had gained over +0.4% earlier in the session  NASDAQ rose +0.20% to a fresh record closing high of 8,734.88, having gained as much as 0.6% earlier in the session.  Apple Inc rose +1.4% to a record high. Walt Disney Co’s (down -0.34%) Disney+ streaming service, which made its debut on 12 November, has been downloaded 22M times to mobile devices, according to app-tracking firm Apptopia. Separately, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker launches in theatres on Friday (20 December).   For the week, the Dow gained +0.43%, S&P500 +0.73% and Nasdaq +0.91%. Through Friday’s close, the S&P 500 is up +26.4% for 2019. The Dow and Nasdaq are up +20.6% and +31.6%, respectively, this year.

Fresh record highs for all three benchmark US equity indices amid reports that the US and China had agreed to terms for a phase one trade deal that would involve cancelling planned tariffs set to go into effect on Sunday (15 December) and rolling back of existing tariffs on US$360B in annual imports from China - Dow gained +221-points or +0.79% to 28,132. The broader S&P500 +0.86% to 3,168.57. The NASDAQ +0.69% to 8,713.92.  Facebook Inc fell -2.72% following a Wall Street Journal report that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is weighing a preliminary injunction as early as next month against the social-networking giant amid antitrust concerns over how its products interact. Apple Inc rose +0.25%  Both the S&P500 and Nasdaq settled at record closing highs, while all three key indices set fresh record intra-day highs.

US equity markets snapped a two session slide, settling with modest gains as investors digested a cautious message from the Federal Reserve - Dow up +30-points or 0.11% Home Depot Inc fell -1.81% after posting a disappointing preliminary outlook for fiscal year 2020 ahead the company’s Investor Day. Home Depot expects sales and same-store sales growth of about 3.5% to 4% versus the current consensus for sales and same-store sales growth of 4.3%.The broader S&P500 +0.29%, with Materials (up +0.71%) and Information Technology (+0.71%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. The NASDAQ rose +0.44%. All three benchmarks ended Tuesday within 1% or less of their record closes set nearly two weeks ago on 27 November.

US equity markets dipped into the red as trade uncertainties lingered  - Dow eased -28-points or -0.10%. The broader S&P500 slipped -0.11% and the technology-centric NASDAQ -0.06%. Chevron Corp fell -0.7% in extended trading after the energy major said that it expects to write down as much as US$11B in the fourth quarter, more than half of it from its Appalachia natural gas assets after a slump in prices. Chevron Corp is considering the sale of its shale-gas holdings, along with its Kitimat liquefied natural gas project in Canada, according to its statement. Chevron Corp said it will keep its 2020 capital budget at US$20B, the third consecutive year it hasn’t boosted spending.

US equity  markets settled with modest declines and snapped a three session winning streak, with some citing the soft China trade data published over the weekend  - Dow down -105-points or -0.38%, with Apple Inc (down -1.4%) leading the index lower.  The broader S&P500 -0.32%, with Health Care (down -0.68%) and Utilities (-0.49%) and Information Technology (-0.48%) the weakest of the primary sectors. The NASDAQ -0.42%. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Merck & Co. Inc dipped -0.20% after the pharmaceutical company said it would buy ArQule Inc (up +104%) in a deal worth US$2.7B. Separately, UnitedHealth Group Inc subsidiary OptumRx’s is acquiring Diplomat Pharmacy Inc (down -32.7%) for $4 a share, well below last Friday’s closing price of US$5.81.

US equity markets rose sharply to end the week, buoyed by a strong November employment report - Dow rallied +337-points or +1.22%, logging its best single session performance since 4 October. 3M Co was the leading index performer with a gain of +4.32% following a Bloomberg report that the consumer and industrial products conglomerate is exploring the sale of its drug delivery systems business, which could be worth ~US$1B. The broader S&P500 +0.91%, marking its largest one-day rise since 15 October and moving back to within 0.2% of its record high (3,153.63) struck on 27 November. Energy (up +2.0%, with Chevron Corp up +1.44% and Exxon Mobil Corp +1.61%) and Financials (+1.35%, with Bank of America Corp up +1.75% and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co +1.49%) led ten of the eleven primary sectors higher, with Utilities (down -0.22%) the only sector to close in the red. The NASDAQ rose +1.00%. Apple Inc (up 0.9%) and Google parent Alphabet Inc (+1.9%) both touched record highs. For the week, the S&P500 rose +0.16%, while both the Dow and Nasdaq lost -0.1%.

US markets settled with modest gains as investors remained confident of a trade resolution of sorts and ahead of tonight’s AEST key non-farm payrolls report - Dow settled +22-points or +0.10% higher after trading in the red for much of the session. Nike Inc (up +%) was among the leading index performers after Goldman Sachs upgraded the company to ‘Buy’ from ‘Neutral’, saying it saw the group as a “unique asset” with China as a “key driver of growth”. The broader S&P500 added +0.10%, NASDAQ +0.50%. Investors remained optimistic about a U.S. - China trade deal after a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce, Gao Feng, said at a weekly briefing on Thursday (5 December) that negotiations toward a so-called phase-one pact to cease tariff hostilities between the world’s largest economies are progressing. However, Mr Feng emphasised that China wants a rollback of existing tariffs to be included as a part of any resolution.