Morgans AM

U.S. stocks ended off session lows but suffered broad losses Thursday after data showed the private sector created nearly half a million new jobs in June, sending Treasury yields higher as investors recalibrated interest-rate expectations.

US equity markets slid on Wednesday as Wall Street resumed a holiday-shortened week and digested the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes for insights into the state of monetary policy. The Dow Jones lost 129.83 points, or 0.38%, to finish at 34,288.64. The S&P 500 fell 0.20% to end at 4,446.82, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.18% to 13,791.65. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -23.87 or -1.26%.

European bourses closed mixed on Tuesday, with investors in a cautious mood ahead of data releases and the start of second-quarter earnings season. The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended +0.32 points of 0.07% higher after a day of muted trade. Health-care and tech stocks led gains, up 0.5%, as banking stocks dropped 0.6%. Germany's DAX was down +0.42% and France's CAC was down 0.17%.

US equity markets rose slightly Monday in a shortened session that kicked off the second half of what’s already been a stellar year on Wall Street. The Dow Jones added 10.87 points, or 0.03%, to finish at 34,418.47. The S&P 500 climbed 0.12% to end at 4,455.59, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.21% to 13,816.77. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +8.05 or +0.43%.

US equity markets rose Friday and technology names continued their staggering run to cap off a strong start to the year, and the best first half for the Nasdaq Composite since 1983 US equity markets – The Dow up +285.18 points or +0.84% . The broader S&P500 edged 53.94 points or +1.23%. The Nasdaq +1.45% to finish at 13,787.92. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 was up 0.38%.

US equity markets rose overnight, led by the major banks after passing the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test - Dow rose +269.76-points or +0.80%.

US equity markets were little changed, after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he won’t rule out back-to-back rate increases, in a meeting with other global central bankers - Dow shed -72-points or -0.2%. The broader S&P500 edged -0.04% lower. Energy (+1.02%) and Communications Services (0.80%) leading four of eleven sectors in the green. Apple shares added +0.6% to record highs, edging its way to a US$3 trillion valuation, whilst Google parent Alphabet rose +1.74%. The Nasdaq gained +0.03%, on track for its best start to a year in 40 years. Shares of NVIDIA ended -1.81% down after reports of a potential new export restrictions on sales to China. Tesla shares jumped +2.4%, ahead of the company’s second-quarter deliveries expected this week. Netflix gained +3.06% after broker upgrades. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 was up +0.47%.

US equity markets rose on Tuesday, as technology shares climbed, and housing data pointed to continued resilience in the US economy. Dow up +211 points or +0.6%. Walgreens shed -9.3% after slashing its full-year profit guidance and reporting weaker-than-expected earnings. The broader S&P500 edged +1.1%, posting its best daily percentage gain since June 15. Information technology (+2%) and Consumer Discretionary (+2%) led 10 of the 11 sectors higher. Delta Air Lines surged +6.8% after they boosted its financial guidance, signalling a continued post-pandemic travel boom. This lifted competitors United Airlines (+5.08%) and American Airlines (+5.54%). The technology centric Nasdaq rose +1.7%, NVIDIA (+3.06%), Meta (+3.08%) and Microsoft (+1.82%) contributing to the index gains. Friday marks the end of the second quarter and first half of 2023. The Nasdaq has gained 10.9% since April and 29.5% this year. It’s on pace for its best first half in 40 years. The S&P and Dow are on track to finish the quarter up +6.6% and +2% respectively. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +1.46%.

US equity markets closed lower overnight, as investors enter the final trading week of the first half of the year. The Dow dipped -12.72 points or -0.04%. The broader S&P500 lost -0.45%. Gains in Energy (+1.71%) and Real Estate (+2.21) were outweighed by declines in Communication Services (-1.88%) and Technology (-1.25%). Cruise operator Carnival led the way lower, dropping -7.7% after reporting a second-quarter loss and higher costs. The sell-off spilled over into shares of Norwegian Cruise Line, which fell -4.5%. The daily losses notwithstanding, both stocks (Carnival & Norwegian) have performed solidly in June. The Nasdaq shed -1.2% after a pullback in technology giants Nvidia (-3.74%), Alphabet (-3.93%), Meta (3.55%), while Tesla (-6.06%) fell as Goldman Sachs downgraded the electric car maker, citing pricing headwinds.

US equity markets slid on Friday to end the week on the red. Dow fell -219.28 points or -0.65% . The broader S&P500 slid -0.77%. The Nasdaq closed down -1.01%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 ended -1.44% lower. The pullback was broad-based with all 11 sectors of the S&P500 closing in the red. Chip stocks underperformed after surging this year on investor enthusiasm over artificial intelligence. Nvidia, the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 this year, fell -1.9% on Friday, while Advanced Micro Devices fell -0.6%. Goldman Sachs shares declined -1.5% after CNBC reported the investment bank likely faces a large write down for its 2021 acquisition of fintech firm GreenSky. In contrast, CarMax shares jumped +10% after the used car retailer exceeded first quarter expectations. Other notable declines were US-based resource companies, Anglo-American down -3.56%, Glencore down -2.99%, Freeport McMoran -3.4%.