U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Friday as investors worried about a rise in inflation ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting next week. Also, mixed economic data and the auto workers strike dampened investors’ spirits. All three major indexes ended in negative territory.
How Did The Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) declined 0.8% or 288.87 points to finish at 34,618.24 points.
The S&P 500 lost 1.2% or 54.78 points, to end at 4,450.32 points. Technology, consumer discretionary, materials and energy stocks were the worst performers.
The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) slid 1.9%. The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 1.7%. The Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) declined 1.1% and 1.5%, respectively. All 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in negative territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 1.6% or 217.72 points to close at 13,708.33 points.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was up 7.57% to 13.79.
Investors Worry Ahead of Fed Meeting
Investors have been worrying about inflationary pressures and the auto workers strike ahead of the Fed’s FOMC that begins on Sep 19. Inflation has declined sharply over the past year but still remains elevated and a lot higher than the Fed’s 2% target.
The economy has been holding strong, which has made the Fed’s fight against sky-high inflation difficult. This has been worrying investors although optimism is still high that the Federal Reserve is likely to keep its interest rates unchanged in its September meeting.
On Friday, the worries continued to build pressure on stocks as Treasury yields rose again. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 3.2 basis points to 4.321% on Friday.
This saw tech stocks taking a beating once again. Shares of Adobe Inc. (ADBE) fell 4.2%, despite the company posting an earnings and revenue beat. Adobe reported third-quarter fiscal 2023 non-GAAP earnings of $4.09 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.02%. Adobe carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Also, shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) declined 0.4% and 2.5%.
Investors’ confidence has also been taking a hit owing to the auto workers’ strike. Several economists feel that the strike could drive up car prices, which could further add to the existing inflationary pressures.
Economic Data
Economic data released on Friday showed that U.S. industrial production rose 0.4% in August, surpassing expectations of a rise of 0.2%.
Separately, the New York Federal Reserve released data from its Empire State manufacturing survey, revealing that the business conditions index rose to 1.9 for the current month. Beating expectations of the economists who were expecting a negative reading on manufacturing activity within the state.
Weekly Roundup
The Dow ended the week 0.1% higher. However, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended the week in losses. The S&P 500 finished 0.2% lower for the week, while the Nasdaq was down 0.4% for the week.
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U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Friday as investors worried about a rise in inflation ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting next week. Also, mixed economic data and the auto workers strike dampened investors’ spirits. All three major indexes ended in negative territory.
How Did The Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) declined 0.8% or 288.87 points to finish at 34,618.24 points.
The S&P 500 lost 1.2% or 54.78 points, to end at 4,450.32 points. Technology, consumer discretionary, materials and energy stocks were the worst performers.
The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) slid 1.9%. The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 1.7%. The Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) declined 1.1% and 1.5%, respectively. All 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in negative territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 1.6% or 217.72 points to close at 13,708.33 points.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was up 7.57% to 13.79.
Investors Worry Ahead of Fed Meeting
Investors have been worrying about inflationary pressures and the auto workers strike ahead of the Fed’s FOMC that begins on Sep 19. Inflation has declined sharply over the past year but still remains elevated and a lot higher than the Fed’s 2% target.
The economy has been holding strong, which has made the Fed’s fight against sky-high inflation difficult. This has been worrying investors although optimism is still high that the Federal Reserve is likely to keep its interest rates unchanged in its September meeting.
On Friday, the worries continued to build pressure on stocks as Treasury yields rose again. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 3.2 basis points to 4.321% on Friday.
This saw tech stocks taking a beating once again. Shares of Adobe Inc. (ADBE) fell 4.2%, despite the company posting an earnings and revenue beat. Adobe reported third-quarter fiscal 2023 non-GAAP earnings of $4.09 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.02%. Adobe carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Also, shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) declined 0.4% and 2.5%.
Investors’ confidence has also been taking a hit owing to the auto workers’ strike. Several economists feel that the strike could drive up car prices, which could further add to the existing inflationary pressures.
Economic Data
Economic data released on Friday showed that U.S. industrial production rose 0.4% in August, surpassing expectations of a rise of 0.2%.
Separately, the New York Federal Reserve released data from its Empire State manufacturing survey, revealing that the business conditions index rose to 1.9 for the current month. Beating expectations of the economists who were expecting a negative reading on manufacturing activity within the state.
Weekly Roundup
The Dow ended the week 0.1% higher. However, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended the week in losses. The S&P 500 finished 0.2% lower for the week, while the Nasdaq was down 0.4% for the week.
Top 5 Dividend Stocks for Your Retirement
Zacks targets 5 well-established companies with solid fundamentals and a history of raising dividends. More importantly, they have the resources and will to likely pay them in the future.
Click now for a Special Report packed with unconventional wisdom and insights you simply won’t get from your neighborhood financial planner.
See our Top 5 now – the report is FREE >>
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