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Some further encouraging corporate earnings releases lifted US equity markets for a second session - Dow gained +338-points or +1.12%, Salesforce Inc jumped 4.31% after CNBC reported that activist investor Starboard Value LP had taken a “significant” stake in the software company and reportedly urged management to lift margins. The broader S&P500 +1.14%, with Industrials (up +2.36%), Materials (+1.91%), Utilities (+1.79%) and Financials (+1.64%) all up over >1.5% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq rallied +1.48%. Apple Inc rose +0.94% despite a report from tech news site The Information saying that the company has cut production of the iPhone 14 Plus, one of four new models the company introduced in early September. The article said that at least one component supplier in China has been told to immediately halt production of parts for the Plus. Microsoft Corp added +0.41% amid reports from both Axios and Business Insider that the technology giant is laying off nearly 1,000 workers across multiple divisions. Microsoft is scheduled to release quarterly earnings on 25 October. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +1.16%.

US equity markets rallied as investors digested the latest corporate earnings releases and news of the latest walk back on the tax proposals - Dow gained -551-points or +1.86%, Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose +2.24% following a Wall Street Journal report that the investment bank plans to fold its biggest businesses into three divisions, combining its flagship investment-banking and trading businesses into one unit, while merging asset and wealth management into another, according to people familiar with the matter. A third division will reportedly house transaction banking, the bank’s portfolio of financial-technology platforms, specialty lender GreenSky, and its ventures with Apple Inc and General Motors Co. The broader S&P500 +2.65%, with Consumer Discretionary (up 4.23%), Real Estate (+3.89%), Communication Services (+3.34%) and Information Technology (+3.09%) all climbing over >3% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq soared +3.43%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 +3.17%.

US equity markets erased early gains to steel sharply lower on Friday (14 October), failing to build on the previous session’s strong rally after the latest University of Michigan monthly survey of US consumers recording a worsening of inflation expectations - Dow fell -404-points or -1.34%, The broader S&P500 lost -2.37%, notched its seventh negative close in eight days. Consumer Discretionary (down -3.88%), Energy (-3.71%) and Information Technology (-3.41%) all falling over >3% to lead all eleven primary sectors lower. The Nasdaq dropped -3.08% to end at 10,321.39, its lowest settlement since 2 July, 2020. Tesla Inc declined 7.55% and Lucid Motors -8.61%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -2.66%.

US equity markets staged a huge intrasession rebound to settle sharply higher despite another hit inflation report - Dow soared +828-points or +2.83% to 30,038.72, logging the largest one day percentage gain since 9 November, 2020 after recovering from an earlier decline of as much as -550-points. It marked the first time on record that the Dow has risen at least 800 points in the same trading day that it was down at least 500 points at its low, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan rose +3.98% and +5.56%, respectively. The broader S&P500 +2.60%, with Financials (up +4.14%) and Energy (+4.08%) both rising over >4% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The index recorded its widest trading range since March 2020 and fifth largest intra-day reversal in its history. The Nasdaq +2.23%. Netflix Inc gained +5.27% after the streaming company said it will charge US$6.99 for its ad-supported subscriptions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co injected some much needed optimism into the chip sector after the company not only reported that net income nearly doubled from a year ago, as revenue surged nearly 50%, but also forecast a “flattish” outlook that still exceeded the Street consensus at the time. The news lifted the PHLX Semiconductor Index SPX +2.60%, with Advanced Micro Devices Inc up +1.88%, Intel Corp +4.30%, and Nvidia Corp +4.00%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rallied +2.41%.

The S&P500 and Nasdaq extended declines into a fifth consecutive session following choppy trading, pulled lower in part by the announcement from the Bank of England (BoE) that it would end its emergency intervention in the UK bond market by Friday (14 October) - Dow added +36-points or +0.12%, paring an earlier session rally of as much as +400-points. Amgen Inc paced gains for the Dow with a +5.72% gain, with the biotechnology company buoyed by an upgrade to an “overweight” recommendation (US$279 target price) by analysts at Morgan Stanley. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc rose +2.42% after the company said it has accelerated its plans to buy full ownership of CareCentrix, acquiring the remaining 45% stake for US$392M. The broader S&P500 fell -0.65% to 3,588.84, settling within 0.1% of its 30 September 2022 closing low of 3,585.62. Communication Services (down -1.64%) and Information Technology (-1.52%) both fell over >1.5% to lead seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. Real Estate (up +1.02%) and Consumer Staples (+0.93%) were the leading primary sector performers overnight. The Nasdaq dropped -1.10% to 10,426.19, logging its lowest close since 28 July, 2020. Meta Platforms Inc (down -3.92%) and Netflix Inc (-6.82%) were both under notable pressure, with both stocks having dropped more than >60% year to date. Chipmakers also saw fresh selling, with the PHLX Semiconductor Index dropping -2.5%. Advanced Micro Devices Inc lost -0.31%, and Nvidia Corp -0.72% The small capitalisation Russell 2000 inched +0.06% higher.

US equity markets booked steep losses on Friday (7 October), with the decline accelerating in the final hour of the session as investors digested the latest jobs report, which is anticipated to reinforce the Federal Reserve’s resolve to keep tightening monetary policy - Dow fell -630-points or -2.11% to 29,296.79, touching an intra- session low of 29,142.66. The broader S&P500 shed -2.80%, with ~94% of index constituents settling in the red. Information Technology (down -4.14%) led all eleven primary sectors lower, with Consumer Discretionary (-3.54%), Communication Services (-2.84%) and Materials (-2.54%) all falling over >2.5%. Energy (down -0.72%) was yet again the best performing sector on a relative basis. The Nasdaq tumbled -3.80%. The PHLX Semiconductor Index fell -6.06% on Friday (7 October), closing at its lowest level since early November 2020 and recording its third 6%+ one-day drop of the year after the U.S. Department of Commerce expanded its list of chip technology that requires a license to be sold to China. News of the ban came on the heels of Advanced Micro Devices Inc (down -13.87%) cutting its already conservative forecast because a drop in PC sales after two years of pandemic-driven sales appears worse than feared. Intel Corp fell 5.37%, Nvidia Corp -8.03%, and Texas Instruments Inc -4.36%. Meta Platforms Inc (down -4.04%) holds its annual ‘Connect’ event on Tuesday night AEST (11 October) showcasing new augmented and virtual reality products, including the much touted headset codenamed Project Cambria. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -2.87%.

US equity markets retreated ahead of tonight’s AEST key jobs figures and as Treasury yields continued to climb - Dow fell -347-points or -1.15%, The broader S&P500 -1.02%, with Utilities (down -3.30%) and Real Estate (-3.20%) both dropping over >3% to lead ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. However, the Energy sector extended its relative outperformance into a fourth straight session, up +1.82%. The Nasdaq -0.68%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.58%.

US equity markets settled with modest losses despite a big reversal in the final hour of the trading session as Treasury yields resumed their march higher - Dow slipped -42-points or -0.14%, reversing an earlier decline of as much as -430-points. The broader S&P500 eased -0.20%, with Utilities (down -2.25%) and Real Estate (-1.90%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +2.06%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard for a third straight session, with Exxon Mobil Corp rallying +4.04%. The Information Technology and Health Care sectors advanced +0.36% and +0.33% respectively. Cruise line stocks retreated after getting an initial boost from news that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (down -0.75%) will suspend all COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements from Tuesday next week (11 October). Carnival Corp fell -4.25%. The Nasdaq settled -0.25% lower. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.74%.