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US equity markets logged modest losses, recovering their worst levels of the session as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell was voted in by Congress to serve a second term of four years - Dow down -104-points or -0.33%, settling ~500-points off its session lows but extending losses into a sixth straight session. The broader S&P500 slipped -0.13% to 3,930.08, trading precariously close to official bear market territory at its session lows (3,858.87). Utilities (down -1.16%) and Information Technology (-1.14%) fell over >1% to lead five of the eleven primary sectors lower. More defensive sectors outperformed, with Healthcare up +0.92%, Consumer Discretionary +0.79% and Real Estate +0.74%. The index logged its lowest settlement since 25 March, 2021, and 18.1% below its record close from early January. A close below

US equity markets retreated as investors assessed the latest inflation report - Dow down -327-points or -1.02%, unwinding an earlier rally of ~423-points. Visa Inc (up +1.62%) and Merck & Co Inc (+1.57%). The index’s -6.5% decline over the past five trading session marks its biggest such decline since 15 June, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The broader S&P500 lost -1.65% to 3,935.18, touching an intra-session 52-week low (3,928.52) and is now down more than >18% from its 52-week high (and down over >17% calendar year-to-date). Consumer Discretionary (down -3.57%) and Information Technology (-3.30%) both declined over >3% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. The Energy (up +1.37%) sector helped to limit declines in the Dow and S&P500. The Nasdaq dropped -3.18%. Apple Inc shed -5.18% (dragging its market capitalisation down to ~US$2.37 trillion) and was usurped as the world’s largest company by capitalisation by oil giant Saudi Aramco (~US$2.43 trillion). Apple passed Saudi Aramco to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company in 2020. Netflix Inc closed -6.4% lower in the wake of a New York Times report detailing plans by the streaming giant to launch an ad-supported pricing tier and crack down on password sharing. Meta Platforms Inc fell -4.51% and Microsoft Corp -3.32%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -2.48%. Coinbase Global Inc slumped -26.4% after the crypto exchange reported first-quarter revenue (US$1.17B) below expectations (US$1.48B) after the close of the previous session, impacted by lower crypto asset prices and market volatility.

US equity markets steadied ahead of the release of key inflation data tonight AEST and with technology stocks regaining some composure after steep declines - Dow eased -84-points or -0.26%, booking a fourth consecutive session of losses (to be down -5.67%, its largest four-day percentage decline since the stretch ending 29 October, 2020). The index traded in an ~850-point range overnight, climbing as much as 500-points and sliding as much as -350-points. International Business Machines (IBM) (down -3.95%), Home Depot Inc (-1.98%), 3M Co (-2.14%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (-2.44%) were among notable drags on the 30-stock index. The broader S&P500 added +0.25% to 4,001.05 after sliding below

US equity markets extended their recent sell-off, with technology stocks under particular pressure once again - Dow dropped -654-points or -1.99%. Walt Disney Company fell -3% to be trading more than >3% below where it was trading 5-years ago. The broader S&P500 slumped -3.2%, sliding below

US equity markets closed out a tumultuous week in the red, clinching weekly declines for all three benchmark indices - Dow fell -99-points or -0.30% . The broader S&P500 -0.57%. The Nasdaq -1.4%. Amazon.com Inc fell -1.4%, while Microsoft Corp -0.94% and Nvidia Corp -0.90%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 -1.69%.

US equity markets slumped as Treasury yields resumed their ascent, with investors further picking apart the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy pronouncements - Dow tumbled -1,063-points or -3.12%, its worst daily percentage drop since 28 October, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The broader S&P500 shed -3.56%, recording its second worse single session decline of the year to date. Consumer Discretionary (down -5.81%), Information Technology (-4.93%) and Communication Services (-4.09%) all fell over >4% to lead all eleven primary sectors lower. Tesla Inc fell -8.3% after CNBC reported that Elon Musk intends to temporarily serve as chief executive at Twitter Inc (+2.65%) once the takeover deal closes. The Nasdaq dropped -4.99%, logging its lowest closing level since November 2020 and its worst daily percentage fall since 11 June, 2020. Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc fell -6.77%, Amazon.com Inc -7.56% and Apple Inc -5.57%. Etsy Inc and eBay Inc slumped -16.83% and -11.72% respectively after issuing weaker-than-expected revenue guidance. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 -4.04%.

US equity markets soared after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said larger +75-basis point interest rate hikes were not in play - Dow rallied +932-points or +2.81%, booking its best daily percentage gain since 9 November, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data and with all 30 index constituents advancing. Stocks seen as economic bellwethers performed well, with Home Depot Inc and Caterpillar Inc rising +3.39% and +4.20%, respectively. Bank stocks also gained ground, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc up +3.0% and JPMorgan Chase & Co +3.3%. The broader S&P500 +2.99%, logging its best daily percentage climbs since 18 May, 2020. Energy (up +4.11%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard for a second consecutive session to lead all eleven key sectors higher, with Chevron Corp rising +3.14% and Exxon Mobil Corp +3.98%. Communication Services (+3.68%), Information Technology (+3.51%), Materials (+3.24%) and Financials (+3.02%) all climbed over >3%. The Nasdaq jumped +3.19%, the technology-centric index’s best daily performance since 16 March. Apple Inc (up +4.1%) and Google-parent Alphabet Inc (+3.76%) gaining more than >3.5% each. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc rallied +9.1% after the chip maker comfortably topped US$5B in quarterly revenue for the first time and lifted their full year outlook after the close of the previous session. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +2.69%. Lyft Inc tumbled -29.91% after the ridesharing company provided weak guidance for the current quarter as it expects to invest in driver supply. Rival Uber Technologies Inc dropped -4.65%.

US equity markets settled with modest gains as investors braced for the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy pronouncements tomorrow morning - Dow up +67-points or +0.20% . The broader S&P500 +0.48%, with the Energy sector (up +2.87%) leading nine of the eleven primary sectors higher. Exxon Mobil Corp gained +2.%. Consumer Discretionary (down -0.29%) and Consumer Staples (-0.24%) were the only primary sectors to close in the red overnight. The Nasdaq +0.21%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 +0.85%.

US equity markets rallied in the final hour of trading to start May on a positive footing – Dow settled +84-points or +0.26% higher, recovering from an earlier drop of as much as -527 points. Boeing Co (down -0.15% at US$148.61), paring an earlier decline of more than >3% that saw the stock touch its lowest intraday level (US$143.38) since 2 November, 2020. The aircraft manufacturer has logged a nine session losing streak that has seen the stock lose more than >22% following a weaker-than-expected first quarter result last week. The broader S&P500 rose +0.57% after hitting a fresh 2022 low earlier in the session. Communication Services (up +2.42%), Information Technology (+1.56%), Energy (+1.37%) and Consumer Discretionary (+1.36%) all advanced over >1% to lead six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Real Estate (down -2.55%) was the worst performing sector overnight. The Nasdaq rebounded +1.63%, clawing back some of the previous session’s -4.17% drop. Apple Inc added +0.20% despite European Union (EU) antitrust authorities telling the company that they have formed a preliminary view that it has abused its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +1.01%.

US equity markets recorded their steepest one day losses since 2020 to close out a tough month - Dow dropped -939-points or -2.77% . The broader S&P500 slumped -3.63% to 4,131.93, , settling with its largest one-day decline since June 2020 and lowest finish since 19 May, 2021. All 11 primary sectors fell sharply on Friday (29 April), with Consumer Discretionary (-5.92%), Real Estate (-4.90%) and Information Technology (-4.14%) posting the biggest losses. The latest fall left the S&P500 in official correction territory, down -10.8% from its most recent closing peak (4,631.60) on 29 March. The S&P 500 fell back into correction just 22 trading days after leaving the previous one, its fastest re-entry since November 2008, during the turmoil of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, when the index fell back into correction only 7 trading days after leaving one. The Nasdaq tumbled -4.17%, marking the technology centric index’s largest single session decline since September 2020. Amazon.com Inc dropped -14.05% to a near 2-year low and logging its steepest one-day drop since 2006 after the e-commerce giant delivered a disappointing first quarter result and outlook after the closing bell of last Thursday’s (28 April) session. The Nasdaq Composite sits in bear market territory, 23.9% below its most recent intraday high. Both the S&P500 and Nasdaq settled at their lowest levels for 2022 to date. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -2.81%.