Stocks Snap Two-Day Rally Amid Rotation From Tech: Markets Wrap

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17 Jul 2020, 12:43 PM IST

Stocks Snap Two-Day Rally Amid Rotation From Tech: Markets Wrap

A trader works on the floor of the NYSE in New York. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Technology shares pushed U.S. stocks lower for the first time in three days after investors rotated out of this year’s top performers. Treasuries gained with American initial jobless claims posting their smallest weekly decline since March.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100’s 0.7% decline was among the largest of major U.S. benchmarks, with Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. leading the losses. The information technology was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500, which had gained more than 2% in the past two days. Netflix Inc. slumped in late trading after the streaming service reported fewer subscriber additions than forecast. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 extended losses after the cash market close, with the contracts down 1.4% as of 4:12 p.m. in New York.

“Those valuations have gotten quite a bit ahead of the rest of the market,” said Matt Stucky, portfolio manager at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management. “With earnings season, that could be the catalyst for a little bit of a pullback in tech. Expectations are moving higher and the companies need to deliver against those expectations.”

Trading volume in the S&P was almost 30% below the average of the prior 30 days. Earlier, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index tracked Asian shares lower as Chinese retail sales in June came in softer than expected, even as the economy returned to growth last quarter. The euro was little changed after the European Central Bank kept its emergency monetary stimulus program unchanged.

The economic data from the U.S. and China served as a reminder of the long road ahead to a full global recovery is quashing optimism seen earlier in the week spurred by progress in developing a coronavirus vaccine. While China is experiencing a modest domestic recovery, the world’s second-largest economy remains vulnerable to setbacks as shutdowns continue to hamper activity across the globe.

”There’s definitely a push-pull,” said Chris Gaffney, president of world markets at TIAA Bank. “Certain sectors of the economy are going well and the question now is with this second spike that we’re seeing -- and have already seen -- and as some states start to tighten back up, while we don’t expect a full lockdown it certainly puts questions on just how quickly this recovery is going to occur.”

Elsewhere, oil retreated from a four-month high after the OPEC+ alliance confirmed it would start tapering output cuts from next month.

These are the main moves in markets:

Stocks

The S&P 500 Index decreased 0.3% to 3,215.58 as of 4:02 p.m. New York time.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.4% to 26,734.57, the first retreat in a week.

The Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.6% to 10,473.83.

The MSCI All-Country World Index fell 0.6% to 545.82, the biggest fall in more than a week.

Currencies

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.3% to 1,207.48, the largest advance in more than a week.

The euro decreased 0.3% to $1.1381, the first retreat in a week.

The Japanese yen depreciated 0.4% to 107.33 per dollar, the weakest in more than a week on the largest dip in three weeks.

Bonds

The yield on two-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 0.15%, the lowest in two months on the biggest decrease in more than two weeks.

The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped one basis point to 0.62%.

Germany’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to -0.47%, the lowest in more than two weeks.

Commodities

West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1.1% to $40.73 a barrel.

Gold depreciated 0.7% to $1,796.11 an ounce, the weakest in more than a week on the biggest dip in almost six weeks.

Copper climbed 0.5% to $2.90 a pound.