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U.S. Stocks Snap 5-Day Drop as Jobless Data Offset Budget
U.S.
stocks rose, halting the longest slump this year for the Standard & Poor?s 500 Index, as an unexpected drop in jobless claims overshadowed concern that a budget impasse could hurt economic growth.
EBay Inc. jumped 4.5 percent after agreeing to buy Braintree for $800 million to expand its mobile-transactions business.
Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) Inc. added 4.5 percent after raising the low end of its earnings forecast.
Eli Lilly & Co. fell 3 percent as its experimental drug ramucirumab failed to meet its goals for treating
breast cancer in a late-stage trial. Hertz Global Holdings Inc. sank 16 percent after cutting its forecasts.
The S& P 500 rose 0.3 percent to 1,698.67 at 4 p.m. in
New York, extending its third-quarter rally to 5.8 percent. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 55.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to 15,328.30. About 5.3 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, 8.6 percent below the three-month average.
?Economic news have been reasonably good,? Mark Foster, chief investment officer who oversees $620 million at Kirr Marbach & Co. in Columbus,
Indiana, said in a telephone interview. ?On the negative side, we have the short-term budget issues and debt ceiling. I don?t think that?ll end up being a major issue. People just get somewhat immune to all of that.?
Unemployment Data
The
benchmark index declined 1.9 percent during a five-day losing streak through yesterday, retreating from an all-time high on Sept. 18, when the
Federal Reserve refrained from reducing the pace of stimulus. Investors have been watching economic reports to help determine whether growth is sufficient for the central bank to begin cutting bond purchases at its next meeting in October.
A Labor Department report today showed the number of Americans filing
applications for
unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, indicating further progress in the labor market. The economy expanded at faster pace in the second quarter from the previous three months, with gross domestic product rising at a 2.5 percent annualized rate, the Commerce Department said.
A separate report added to signs that rising mortgage rates may have slowed housing market momentum. Fewer Americans
signed contracts in August to buy previously owned homes, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed. Data yesterday indicated purchases of new homes rose in August, capping the weakest two months this year.
Government Shutdown
Investors are also weighing whether lawmakers can avoid a looming government shutdown, with the S& P 500 paring an earlier gain of as much as 0.7 percent after House Speaker
John Boehner, an
Ohio Republican, said he doesn?t expect his chamber to pass a stopgap spending bill expected from the Senate. He also said he does not expect a government shutdown to happen.
The Senate likely will not vote on its version of the bill until this weekend, leaving the House just one full workday to act before spending authority for the federal government expires on Oct. 1. The House and Senate are at odds over language that withdraws funding for the 2010 health-care law.
The Office of Management and Budget estimated 30 days of shutdowns in 1995 and 1996 cost more than $1.4 billion, or $2.09 billion in today?s dollars.
On another fiscal front, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew told Congress yesterday that the extraordinary measures being used to avoid breaching the debt ceiling ?will be exhausted no later than Oct. 17.? Failure to increase the debt limit could lead to a downgrade of the U.S. government?s credit rating.
Losing Streak
The
S& P 500 (SPX)?s losing streak through yesterday was the longest since Dec. 28, when lawmakers wrangled over impending automatic spending cuts and tax increases known as the fiscal cliff. The index dropped as much as 3.4 percent over the last two weeks of 2012 and then jumped 5 percent in January for the best start to a year since 1997 after a last-minute budget deal was struck.
?
Washington has been dragging their feet as of late but eventually they?ll be forced into action,? said Patrick Spencer, head of U.S. equity sales for Robert W. Baird & Co. in
London. ?We?ve been down this road before. It?s quite natural and healthy to have pull-backs in a
bull market. We?ll shift into a stronger gear with a settlement on the budget and what I think will be a very positive earnings season.?
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, the gauge of S& P 500 options prices known as the VIX, rose 0.4 percent to 14.06 today. The measure has fallen 17 percent this quarter.
S& P 500 Falls a 5th Day Amid Threat of Budget Impasse
U.S.
stocks fell, giving the Standard & Poor?s 500 Index its longest slump this year, as
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) retreated and concern grew that a political showdown over
government spending poses a threat to growth.
Wal-Mart lost 1.5 percent after the retailer told suppliers it?s cutting orders this quarter and next to address rising inventories. J.C. Penney Co. slumped 15 percent as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the department-store chain?s liquidity will be strained. Stryker Corp. slipped 2.9 percent on an agreement to buy Mako Surgical Corp. for $1.65 billion. Noble Corp. added 1.8 percent after the offshore rig contractor said it plans to spin off about half its fleet.
The
S& P 500 (SPX) fell 0.3 percent to 1,692.77 at 4 p.m. in
New York, its fifth straight losing session. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average, which includes Wal-Mart, slid 61.33 points, or 0.4 percent, to 15,273.26. About 5.9 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, in-line with the three-month average.
?There is a lot of noise that?s disruptive to people doing anything with a great deal of confidence,? Don Hodges, founder of Dallas-based Hodges Funds, said in a phone interview,referring to budget negotiations. His firm manages about $1.3 billion. ?Anytime the market is as strong as it?s been in the last few weeks, you just know that it?s capable of having a pullback that shakes off people a little bit.?
Government Shutdown
The
S& P 500 has dropped 1.9 percent in the past five days as investors weighed whether a looming government shutdown will hamper economic growth. The current losing streak is the index?s longest since Dec. 28, when lawmakers wrangled over impending automatic spending cuts and tax increases known as the fiscal cliff.
The Senate likely will not vote on a stopgap spending bill until this weekend, leaving the House just one full workday to act before spending authority for the federal government expires on Oct. 1. The House and Senate are at odds over language that withdraws funding for the 2010 health-care law.
On another fiscal front, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew told Congress that the extraordinary measures being used to avoid breaching the debt ceiling ?will be exhausted no later than Oct. 17.? Failure to increase the debt limit could lead to a downgrade of the U.S. government?s credit rating.
The wrangling comes as Americans are losing faith in the nation?s economic recovery, according to a Sept. 20-23 Bloomberg National Poll. Forty-four percent of poll respondents say they expect the economy, which has expanded for nine consecutive quarters, to remain about the same over the next year, while 28 percent see it weakening.
Watching Data
Investors have also been scrutinizing data to determine whether economic growth is robust enough for the
Federal Reserve to begin paring back its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases.
A report from the Commerce Department today indicated purchases of new homes rose in August, capping the weakest two months this year, showing the fallout from
mortgage rates at a two-year high is cooling the real-estate rebound. Demand slumped 14 percent in July. Separate government data showed orders for equipment such as computers and machinery climbed less than forecast in August.
The central bank?s decision Sept. 18 to refrain from slowing stimulus sent the S& P 500 to a record close of 1,725.52. The gauge has retreated every session since the decision, as policy makers send mixed signals on the timing of the central bank?s next move. Fed Bank of St. Louis President
James Bullard said Sept. 20 that tapering could start in October.
William Dudley, head of the New York Fed, said yesterday any cut would depend on the economy?s performance.
Rebalance Assets
?There has been some push and pull on whether this is just a temporary waiting for the taper to actually start, or whether lower for longer is the new reality,? Diane Jaffee, the New York-based group managing director for U.S. equities who oversees about $6.4 billion in assets at TCW Group Inc., said in a phone interview.
The S& P 500 has rallied 5.7 percent in the third quarter while Treasuries retreated 0.1 percent through yesterday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and Bank of America Corp. The divergence will cause some funds to sell stocks and buy bonds to rebalance asset allocations. UBS AG strategist Boris Rjavinski projects ?significant? outflows from U.S. equities into Treasuries, with as much as $41 billion in stocks being sold and up to $22 billion of fixed-income investments purchased.
Wal-Mart Inventories
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, the gauge of S& P 500 options prices known as the VIX, lost 0.5 percent to 14.01. The measure has fallen 22 percent this year.
Eight of 10 S& P 500 main industries fell as consumer-staples and health-care stocks dropped at least 0.7 percent.
Wal-Mart lost 1.5 percent to $74.65, the steepest drop in the Dow. Last week, an ordering manager at the company?s Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters described the pullback in orders in an e-mail to a supplier, who said others got similar messages.
Merchandise has been piling up because consumers have been spending less freely than Wal-Mart projected, and the company has forfeited some sales because it doesn?t have enough workers in stores to keep shelves adequately stocked.
?We?ve seen a little bit of weakening in the strength of the consumer recently and Wal-Mart could be a good example of that, where people are starting to pull back on marginal purchases,? James W. Gaul, a
fund manager at
Boston Advisors LLC, which oversees about $2.3 billion from Boston, said by phone.
Penney, Stryker
J.C. Penney sank 15 percent to $10.12, the lowest since December 2000. The stock has tumbled 49 percent in 2013.
?Weak fundamentals, inventory rebuilding, and an underperforming home department will likely challenge J.C. Penney?s liquidity levels in the third quarter,? Kristen McDuffy, at New York-based analyst for Goldman, wrote yesterday in a note to clients.
Stryker fell 2.9 percent to $68.79. The second-largest seller of orthopedic devices agreed to buy Mako for $30 a share to add technology for robot-assisted surgeries. Mako surged 82 percent to $29.46.
Carnival Corp. (CCL) lost 5.3 percent to $32.70, extending a 7.7 percent drop yesterday to put the stock at its lowest since June. The world?s largest cruise-ship operator forecast an unexpected loss for the fourth quarter, and Morgan Stanley cut its recommendation to underweight, similar to a sell rating, from equal weight. Bank of America Corp. lowered its rating to neutral from buy.
JPMorgan Talks
JPMorgan Chase & Co. rallied 2.7 percent, the most in the Dow, to $51.70, snapping a two-day losing streak that pushed the stock down 4.7 percent.
The lender resumed settlement talks with the U.S. after authorities prepared to sue the bank yesterday in California federal court alleging it misrepresented the quality of mortgage-backed securities it sold from 2005 to 2007, a person familiar with the matter said.
A settlement may include $7 billion in cash and $4 billion for consumer relief, the
Associated Press reported, citing an official familiar with ongoing negotiations among federal and state officials.
Noble advanced 1.8 percent to $38.60. The contractor said the planned spinoff will let it focus on higher-priced rigs working in deeper waters. An initial public offering of as much as 20 percent of the new company?s shares may precede a tax-free distribution of the new stock to existing Noble investors.
Facebook Record
Facebook Inc. rallied 2.1 percent to $49.46, the stock?s sixth gain in the past seven sessions, with each advance setting a fresh record. Canaccord Financial Inc. initiated coverage of the social media company with a buy rating. Facebook is ?very early in generating revenue from its enormous user base,? Michael Graham wrote in a note, giving the stock a price target of $60.
U.S. stocks are delivering the best risk-adjusted returns among the world?s biggest developed markets as a third straight year of earnings growth produces steadier gains. The S& P 500 has risen 1.9 percent in 2013 when adjusted for price swings, the top advance among 24 of the largest developed nations, according to the data compiled by Bloomberg. The performance exceeds
Japan, where prices have surged almost twice as much this year, as a measure of U.S. volatility reached a six-year low.
Stable Returns
U.S. equities have provided more stable returns as
China?s economy expands at the slowest pace in at least two decades and
Europe faces record joblessness, prompting investors to seek safety in American companies. The Fed?s unprecedented bond purchases and five years of S& P 500
profit growth have helped rebuild investor confidence after the financial crisis and reduce price swings.
?The U.S. continues to be the most resilient economy across the world and its markets have reflected that with the least amount of volatility,? Joseph Tanious, global market strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said in a phone interview from New York. His firm oversees about $1.5 trillion. ?Earnings growth has continued to hit record highs. There is less skepticism about the long-term potential in U.S. markets.?
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