Stocks Drop for Second Day; Treasuries Advance: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks notched a second straight small decline after reaching a record, as investors assessed what the latest inflation reading means for aid prospects.

The S&P 500 Index ended and up-and-down session lower by less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a gain, while the Nasdaq 100 retreated. The 10-year Treasury yield fell back below 1.15% after the core consumer price index was unchanged last month.

The CPI data are part of an intensifying debate in financial markets over the course of inflation. Despite the muted January figure, investors continue to worry that price pressures are set to increase in the months ahead as Congress passes an aid bill and more vaccinations spur consumer spending.Twitter Inc. climbed after reporting a jump in revenue. Lyft Inc. rallied as the co-founder said the ride-hailing company will “absolutely” turn a quarterly profit this year.

Surging Inflation May Force Fed to Resort to Yield Curve-Control

Here are some key events coming up:

• Lunar New Year public holidays begin in nations across Asia, with China breaking for a week.
• Bank of Russia’s policy decision comes Friday.

These are the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The S&P 500 Index lost less than 0.1% 4 p.m. in New York.
• The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.2%.
• The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.8%.
• The MSCI Emerging Market Index gained 1.1%.

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1%.
• The euro added 0.1% to $1.2125.
• The British pound rose 0.2% to $1.3841.
• The Japanese yen slipped 0.1% to 104.67 per dollar.

Bonds

• The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell two basis points to 1.13%.
• The yield on two-year Treasuries was unchanged at 0.11%.
• Germany’s 10-year yield rose one basis point to -0.44%.
• Britain’s 10-year yield climbed two basis points to 0.48%.

Commodities

• West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.5% to $58.65 a barrel.
• Gold futures added 0.4% to $1,844.20 an ounce.

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