This May 24, 2021, file photo, shows the front of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
By Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga
Wall Street closed out a mostly listless week Friday with a wobbly day of trading that helped nudge the S&P 500 to its third straight weekly gain.
The benchmark index edged up 0.2% after spending much of the day in the red. The small uptick was enough to lift the S&P 500 to an all-time high for the second day in a row.
Technology companies and banks accounted for much of the upward move. The gains were offset by a broad slide in health care, energy and real estate stocks. Bond yields were mixed.
With the exception of select “meme” stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment hyped by individual investors in online forums, the broader market was relatively quiet this week. Investors remain in wait-and-see mode ahead of the Federal Reserve's upcoming meeting of policymakers Wednesday.
Wall Street is keen for clues about how much of a threat the central bank deems rising inflation as the economy emerges from its pandemic-induced recession, and whether the Fed has begun considering beginning to taper its support for the economy.
“No one is suggesting that it will be at this meeting, but the market is poised for the Fed to at least even tangentially suggest that they’re discussing" tapering, said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial.
The S&P 500 rose 8.26 points to 4,247.44. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 13.36 points, or less than 0.1%, to 34,479.60. The Nasdaq gained 49.09 points, or 0.4%, to 14,069.42. The tech-heavy index also notched a weekly gain.
Investors bid up shares in smaller company stocks. The Russell 2000 index picked up 24.40 points, or 1.1%, to 2,335.81. The index is up 18.3% this year, outgaining the S&P 500's advance of 13.1% and the Nasdaq's 9.2% gain.
Among the winning technology and financial stocks were chipmaker Nvidia, which rose 2.3%, and Wells Fargo, which gained 1.3%. Several retailers also rose. V.F. Corp., maker of Vans shoes and other apparel, climbed 4.7% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500, while Gap rose 3.2% and L Brands gained 2.3%.
Traders dumped shares in several health care companies after they issued disappointing development updates. Vertex Pharmaceuticals dropped 11% after telling investors it will end development of a potential treatment for a genetic condition that targets the liver. Incyte fell 5.7% as its potential eczema cream ruxolitinib faces a delayed regulatory review. The two stocks topped the list of decliners in the S&P 500.
Investors were relieved to see Thursday that a much-anticipated report showed that a big rise in consumer-level inflation last month was mostly attributed to temporary factors. That could mean less pressure on the Fed to pull back on its measures supporting the economy.
“You kind of have this notion that worries about inflation from the investor base might have peaked,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategist at Baird.
A significant share of May’s rise in consumer prices was tied to the sale of used cars, which is largely attributed to purchases by rental car companies beefing up their fleets as people return to traveling.
Bond yields were mixed Friday, though the yield on the closely watched 10-year Treasury note was trading at 1.46%, down from 1.57% a week ago. Yields have been mostly headed lower this week despite reports showing more strength in the economy and possible signs of inflation.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
