US equity markets retreated as a fresh rise in bond yields exerted particular pressure on the technology sector – Dow fell -153-points or -0.46% a day after recording fresh record closing (33,015.37) and intra-day (33,047.58) highs. Chevron Corp declined -3.62%. The broader S&P500 lost -1.48% after also setting record closing (3,974.12) and intra-day (3,983.87) peaks in the previous session. Energy tumbled -4.68% to lead ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Financials (up +0.56%) was the only primary sector to advance. The Nasdaq slumped -3.02% . Apple Inc (down -3.39%), Amazon.com Inc (-3.44%) and Netflix Inc (-3.75%) all fell more than >3%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index fell -2.94% (with the Russell 1000 growth index, which includes technology stocks, dropping more than >2%).

US equity markets advanced after a choppy session, with the Federal Reserve forecasting a fast economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and said it would maintain its interest rate at close to zero– Dow up +189-points or +0.58% to a fresh record closing high of 33,015.37 (after hitting a fresh intra-day high of 33,047.58) – the first settlement above >33,000. It also marked the fastest ever trip through consecutive 1000-point milestones, moving above >33,000 just five trading days after clearing 32,000 (albeit the hurdle obviously become less taxing in percentage terms the higher the index moves). Boeing Co (up +3.28% overnight) was the biggest points contributor (~120-points) to the indices latest 1,000-point rally. The second-fastest move between milestones was an eight-day journey from 25,000 to 26,000, a rise of 4%. The Walt Disney Co gained 0.5% after CEO Bob Chapek told CNBC that California’s two Disneyland theme parks will reopen on April 30. The broader S&P500 added +0.29% to a record close of 3,974.12 after setting an intra-day all-time high of 3,983.87 and erasing an earlier decline of -0.7%. Consumer Discretionary (up +1.41%) and Industrials (+1.12%) gained over >1% to lead six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Utilities (down 1.63%) was the worst performing sector. Amazon.com Inc (up +1.4% and Tesla Inc (+3.7%) provided the biggest lift to the index. The Nasdaq added +0.40% after also erasing earlier losses that saw the technology-centric index down as much as 1.5%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index rose +0.73%. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc climbed ~4% in extended trading after the movie-theatre chain said that 98% of its U.S. locations will open starting Friday (19 March), and that 99% should be open by 26 March.

IntelliHR (ASX:IHR) is a leading people and performance management business. At its core, intelliHR uses analytics, data, and technology to enable its customers to track real-time performance and provide better outcomes for their staff.

In only a short space of time, IntelliHR has grown rapidly and is now expanding overseas on the back of a world-class technology-driven platform. Rob Bromage, Founder and Chief Executive Officer discussed IHR with the Morgans network.

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US equity markets were in decline Tuesday night as the Dow fell from its record high and snapped a seven-day winning streak ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 129 points, or -0.4%, to 32,825.95. The S&P 500 slipped -0.2% after setting a record high intraday and finished at 3,962. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite eked out a gain of 11.86 points, or less than +0.1% to close at 13471.57, after having been up as much as 1.2% earlier in the day. Tech and communication stocks still posted gains, with Apple, Microsoft, and Google parent Alphabet all up more than +1% and Facebook gaining $5.53, or +2%, to close at $279.28. Amazon, Apple and Google have underperformed in recent months as investors have shifted from growth stocks to value plays, but some of the more mature tech stocks now appear less expensive due to their profitability and strong balance sheets, according to some strategists. Seven of the S&P 500's 11 sectors were in negative territory, with energy stocks performing the worst, weighed down by a decline in oil prices. Investors are keeping a close eye on the Federal Reserve to see whether it will address the recent rise in bond yields.

The Covid-19 rescue bill contains sweeping reforms to the US social safety net. Michael Knox discusses the implications of the bill, with the Morgans network.

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Fresh record closing highs for both the Dow and S&P500 although US equity markets tread water for much of the session before opposing in the closing minutes in the final minutes of the session – Dow gained +175-points or +0.53% to 32,953.46, logging seventh positive trading session in-a-row and fourth consecutive record closing high (the longest such run since December 2017, according to Dow Jones Market Data). The broader S&P500 advanced +0.65% to 3,968.94 and a third consecutive record closing high. Utilities (up +1.36%), Real Estate (+1.18%), Consumer Discretionary (+1.17%) and Information Technology (+1.11%) all climbed over 1%. Energy (down -1.25%) and Financials (-0.57%) were the only sectors to close in the red. United Airlines Holdings Inc jumped +8.26% after the carrier said in a filing that it expects core cash flow to be positive for the month of March. The Nasdaq +1.05%. Apple Inc gained +2.45% (paring its year-to-date loss to under <7%). Advanced Micro Devices Inc gained +1.79% as the company launched its third generation EPYC processors. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index added 0.31% to also record a fresh record closing high (2,360.17).

US equity markets mixed on Friday night (12 March) to conclude a strong week as Treasury yields climbed and prompted investors to once again chase value stocks at the expense of growth stocks – Dow gained +293-points or +0.90% to notch its fifth consecutive record closing high of 32,778.64. Boeing Co rallied +6.82% following a Reuters report that the company had received an order from a private investment firm 777 Partners to buy 24 737 MAX airplanes with an option to purchase a further 60. Other notable index performers included Caterpillar Inc (up 4.2%) and investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2%) and JPMorgan Inc (+1.2%). The broader edged S&P500 +0.10% higher, recovering earlier losses to also eke out a fresh record closing high of 3,943.34. Real Estate (up +1.50%), Industrials (+1.34%), Utilities (+1.28%) and Financials (+1.09%) all advanced over >1%. Communication Services (down -0.90%) and Information Technology (-0.71%) were the only sectors to close in the red. The Nasdaq lost -0.59% after rebounding over >6% over the preceding three sessions. China’s market regulator said Friday (12 March) it had imposed fines on twelve companies, including WeChat owner Tencent Holdings Ltd (down -7.52%), search engine Baidu Inc (-2.98%), ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and Japan’s SoftBank Corp. Separately, the US listed shares of China-based JD.com Inc slid -6.65% after three sources said it is in talks to buy part or all of a stake in brokerage Sinolink Securities worth at least US$1.5B. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index advanced +0.61% to a record closing high of 2,352.79. Novavax Inc jumped +8.07% after the company said its COVID-19 vaccine was 96% effective in a Phase 3 trial.

We have upgraded CSL to an Add recommendation. While we make no changes to our estimates or price target, we believe CSL share price weakness offers an opportunity to buy a high-quality business at a discount. Dr. Derek Jellinek explains further in an update to the Morgans network.

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Dr. Don Hamson from Plato Investment Management discussed with the Morgans network, highlighting the superior dividend performance of PL8 in the face of 35% dividend cuts post the onset of COVID.

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US equity markets rallied as rising inflation subsided, while the signing of a massive stimulus bill reinforced expectations of a strong economic recovery – Dow rose +189-points or +0.58%, paring an earlier climb of over >300 points that lifted the index to a fresh record intra-day peak (32,661.59). The broader S&P500 +1.04% to a fresh record closing high of 3,939.34, with Information Technology (up +2.12%) leading the primary sector gains. The Nasdaq +2.5%, with Facebook Inc (+3.39%), Alphabet Inc (+3.16%) and Netflix Inc (+3.67%) all advancing at least 3%. Chip stocks jumped sharply after China’s semiconductor trade association formed a new group to work with their U.S. counterparts to ease recent trade tensions between the two countries. Nvidia Corp (up +4.21%) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (+4.79%) jumped more than 4% each. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index rose +2.31%.