THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Tech lifts Nasdaq to record as retail drags on Dow

Tech lifts Nasdaq to record as retail drags on Dow

The Nasdaq Composite climbed to a fresh record on the back of gains in megacap tech companies even as the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank following disappointing reports from retailers.

Gains in Facebook, Broadcom and Tesla lifted the Nasdaq while Home Depot was the biggest drag on the Dow after the company cut its annual forecast for the second time this year. Investors also mulled the implications of a report that U.S. and Chinese negotiators may link the size of tariff rollbacks to terms set during talks in May. Ten-year Treasury yields dipped below 1.8%, while oil tumbled for a second day.

The dollar edged higher against its major peers after President Donald Trump said he "protested" U.S. interest rates that he considers too high in a meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at the White House. The Fed said Powell's remarks were "consistent" with his recent public comments.

Investors remain sensitive to any signs of whether U.S. consumers can continue supporting economic growth and are looking for developments on trade after months of closely watched negotiations. One challenge for stocks across developed markets lies in the MSCI World index's 21% advance this year, which has propelled the benchmark to its highest estimated price-earnings ratio since 2017.

"More and more people are concluding that the economy has some strength, that it's strong enough to support rising stock prices," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist at Edward D Jones & Co. in St. Louis. "While consumer spending is falling, it's not falling off a cliff. Overall most of the news has been good, investors are feeling more confident."

Elsewhere, European stocks ended lower. Equities fell in Tokyo and climbed in Shanghai. Gold held steady.

Here are some key events coming up this week:

--U.S. economic indicators due for release include initial jobless claims on Thursday.

--Britain holds its first televised leadership debate before next month's election Tuesday.

--Federal Reserve speakers this week include district bank presidents John Williams, Loretta Mester and Neel Kashkari.

--European central bankers speaking this week include European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann, along with Yves Mersch, Luis de Guindos, Pablo Hernandez de Cos and Philip Lane.

--China announces its loan prime rates, a benchmark for borrowing costs, on Wednesday.

These are the main moves in markets:

Stocks

--The S&P 500 index slipped less than 0.1% at the close of trade in New York; the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.2%; the Dow fell 0.4%.

--The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.1%

--The MSCI Emerging Market index gained 0.4%.

Currencies

--The Bloomberg Dollar Spot index rose less than 0.1%.

--The pound fell 0.2% to $1.2926.

--The euro increased less than 0.1% to $1.1077.

--The Japanese yen gained 0.1% to 108.55 per dollar.

Bonds

--The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped three basis points to 1.78%.

--Germany's 10-year yield was little changed at -0.34%.

--Australia's 10-year yield declined four basis points to 1.13%.

Commodities

--West Texas Intermediate crude declined 3.2% to $55.25 a barrel.

--Gold was little changed at $1,472.17 an ounce.

 

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