U.S. stocks rose sharply Tuesday, as the Dow Jones 🍌Industrial Average and S&꧒P 500 both finished at record highs.
The Dow, which cl⛎osed at its first 🌳record high in two months on Monday, gained 1.9%, or 743 points, while the S&P 500 tacked🥃 on 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite, ende🌄d 0.2% higher thanks to a late-day recovery, as tech stocks lagged the broader market's move higher.
The Dow's upswing was led by UnitedHealth (UNH), which rose 6.5% after the insurer reported better-than-expected earnings. Caterpillar (CAT) and Boeing (BA) were both up about 4%.
Banking sector stocks were among the big gainers on the S&P 500 after strong earnings reports. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Bank of America (BAC) closed 5.4% higher, while 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:State Street (STT) jumped 7.5%. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Charles Schwab (SCHW) was the biggest decl𒈔ꦺiner, sliding 10% after releasing results.
As earnings reports continue to roll out in the coming days and weeks, investors will be getting fresh views on how companies🔥 are navigating an environment of continued high interest rates and slowing economic activity.
Major stock indexes have been supported in recent weeks by gains for large-cap technology stocks and expectations the Federal Reserve will cut its influential fed funds rate as soon as September.
On Tuesday, several big-name tech stocks lost ground, with chipmakers Nvidia (NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Micron (MU) and Broadcom (AVGO) among the decliners. Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META) and Alphabet (GOOGL) also finished lower.
While the large-cap tech names retreated, small-cap stocks were on the rise, a trend that emerged late last week. The Russell 2000 small-cap index added 3.5% Tuesday, and has gained 11.5% during a five-s🌌ession winning strea✤k.
Treasury yields, which have fallen in recent weeks as expectations of a Fed rate cut have grown, fell further on Tuesday to around 4.16%. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Market participants are now pricing in a 100% chance the Fed ꩵwill cut the fed funds rate in September, and continue cutting in subsequent meetings.
Market participants are closely monitoring economic data releases, as well as comments from Federal Reserve officials, for clues on the timetable for interest rate cuts. On Monday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that progress has been made in the fight against inflation, noting that annual inflation doesn't need to fall to the Fed 2% target before the central bank starts cutting rates.
Gold prices, which are also getting a boost from the rate-cut hopes, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:rose to a new record and were trading around $2,470 an ounce. Oil prices continued to slide amid demand-related concerns.
Meantime, investors are watching developments at the Republican National Convention, after former President Donald Trump named Ohio senator J.D. Vance as his running mate for the presidential election.
S&P 500 Movers on Tuesday
Gainers
- Health insurance firms enjoyed a strong day on the stock market after industry giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH) 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:beat second💟-quarter profit estimates, driven by increased revenue from its Optum health care unit. UnitedHealth shares added 6.5% following the strong results. Peers also posted gains, with shares of Molina Healthcare (MOH) jumping 8.2% to notch Tuesday's top performance in the S&P 500.
- Firmer confidence that lower interest rates are on the horizon helped lift shares of companies in the housing industry, with the promise of lower interest rates 🌊澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:boding wel🅠l for future homebuying activity. Shares of construction materials provider Builders FirstSource (BLDR) soared 8.0%. Shares of home builders also moved higher, with Pultegroup (PHM), D.R. Horton (DHI), and Lennar (LEN) all up more than 6.5%.
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David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / Getty Images
- Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) shares jumped 7.6% after Bank of America pointed to numerous strategic options for the media conglomerate to create more value for its shareholders. Possible moves mentioned by the analysts include spinning off studio assets into a standalone company or merging its streaming services with another entity.
Decliners
- Shares of Match Group (MTCH), which operates Tinder and other online dating platforms, surged 7.5% amid news that 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:activist hedge fund Starboard Value has 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:acquired a stake worth approximately 6.6% of the company. In a letter to Match executives, Starboard stressed the need for improved margins and discussed the possibility of pursuing a sale to bring the company private.
- Charles Schwab (SCHW) shares plummeted 10.2%, suffering the heaviest losses of any S&P 500 component. CEO Walt Bettinger said the financial services firm will 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:downsize its bank to attempt to maintain profitability. According to reports, the firm plans to streamline its use of capital by relying on off-balance sheet deals with outside partners to hold customer deposits.
- Other stocks in the financial services industry came under pressure following the warning from Schwab. Shares of Raymond James Financial (RJF) and Ameriprise Financial (AMP) fell 6.3% and 3.8%, respectively.
- Progressive (PGR) shares slipped 3.2% after the property and casualty insurer reported mixed quarterly results, with 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:earnings per share (EPS) exceeding estimates but revenue falling slightly short of expectations. Following the earnings release, Morgan Stanley maintained its "overweight" rating on Progressive stock, highlighting strong underwriting profitability, but analysts noted lower-than-expected personal auto policies in force (PIF) as a potential area of concern.
Gold Prices Hit Record High on Rate-Cut Hopes
Gold prices hit a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:record high Tuesday as investors looked ahead to the possibility of int🌱erest-rates cuts starting this fall.
The spot price of gold reached $2,465.65 an ounce, a record high, by Tuesday afternoon, according to LSEG data going back to 1968, per CNBC. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Gold futures were r♌ecently up 1.7% to about $2,470 an ounce.
Attention to gold has ratcheted higher in recent weeks after 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查🔯询:cooler-than-expected inflation in♒ June&nb💫sไp;fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve would lower its benchmark interest rate in September.
The prospect of lower interest rates is sometimes seen as bullish for gold since the precious metal, which doesn't pay a dividend, can appear more attractive relative to other assets, like Treasurys, in such an environment. Investors may also be turning to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gold as a hedge against ﷽economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
Match Leads S&P 500 Gainers as Starboard Takes Stake
Shares of Match Group (MTCH) jumped Tuesday 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:on the news that 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:activist hedge fund Starboard Value has taken a significant stake in the online dating ꦓgiant and is already pushing for changes.
Match operates its namesake service along with several other popular platforms including Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, and others.
Starboard has recently purchased shares amounting to about 6.6% of the company, which makes the firm the third-largest shareholder, Starboard said in a letter to Match leadership included in a Monday 澳洲幸运5开🅺奖号码历史查询:Securities and Exchange Commisℱsion (SEC) filing.
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Match shares were 💜up 8% Tuesday afternoon, mak🤡ing them the top gainer on the S&P 500.
Bank of America Jumps on Earnings Beat
Bank of America (BAC) shares jumped more than 5% as 澳🔴洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:second-quarter revenue and profit beat estim🎉ates.
The bank reported net income of $6.9 billion, or 83 cents per share, below last year's marks but still better than analysts had estimated. Revenue also beat estimates as it grew about 1% year-over-year to $25.4 billion. Bank of America credited higher fees, along with improved sales and trading revenue.
However, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:net interest income (NII) dropped 3% to $13.7 billion, narrowly below the number analysts were looking for. Bank of America continued a trend of lower NII that started in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:last week's bank earnings as greater deposit costs offset the benefit of higher interest ra𓂃tes.
Bank of America's rivals 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:JPMorgan Chase (JPM), 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Goldman Sachs (GS), 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Wells Fargo (WFC), and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Citigroup (C🃏) in recent days also reported higher second-quarter revenue from their investment banking activities.
Traders Now Pricing in 100% Chance of Fed Rate Cut in September
Market participants are 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:increasingly convinced that the F🉐ederal Reserve will start cutting its benchmark interest rate in September, ℱwith more cuts to follow before the end of the year, even as Fed officials say they need to see more economic data before adjusting policy.
According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, which for🅘ecasts rate movements based on fed funds futures trading data, traders are pricing in a 100% chance that the Federal Reserve will cut its influential fed funds rate in September.1
That's up from the 73% likelihood priced in just a week ago.
Market participants are also pricing in a high probability that once the Fed makes its first move in September it will continue cutting at the November and December meetings of the policy-setting 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Federal Open Market Committee. Traders predict there's a roughly 60% chance the fed funds rate will be 50 basis points lowe💯r than its current rate in November and 75 basis points lower in December.
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Celal Gunes / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
The increased expectations follow a number of data releases that have shown 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:inflation is moderating and economic activity is slowing, an indication that the Fed's two-year campaign of higᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀰ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚh interest rates is having its intended effect.
Fed officials have acknowledged the progress in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:fight against inflation, but have said they will be reliant on economic data to give them more confidence that inflation is m😼oving toward their annual goal of 2%.
UnitedHealth Leads Dow Gainers After Earnings
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares advanced Tuesday after the big health insurance provider posted 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:better-than-expected profit on higher revenue from its Optum health care un🀅it, while a𝐆dding that the costs associated with a February cyberattack would be greater than previously estimated.
The company reported second-quarter adjusted 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:earnings per share (EPS) of $6.80, more than a🍷ntici🌳pated. Revenue was up 6.4% year-over-year to $98.9 billion, in line with forecasts.
UnitedHealth🧜 affirmed its full-year adjusted EPS outlook of $27.50 to $28.00 that it gave last November, even though the negative impact of the hack would be $0.60 to $0.70 per share.
UnitedHealth shares were up 5% about an hour into Tuesday's session.
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DJIA Levels to Watch as Index Hits Record Highs
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained more ꧂than 300 points in early trading Tuesday, after finishing at its first record high in two months the previous session.
On Monday, the ind❀ex broke out from an ascending triangle, a chart pattern that indicates a c𒁃ontinuation of the uptrend.
The measuring principle projects a shorter-term price🦂 target of 43,500, while a bars pattern forecasts ꦇa longer-term price target of around 46,615.
During retracements, the DJIA may find support near the ascending triangle's upper and lower trendlines at 40,000 and 39,300, respectively.
Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:technical analysis here.
Stock Futures Point to Higher Open
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Indꦰustrial Average were up 0.1%.
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S&P 500 futures gained 0.2%.
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Nasdaq 100 futures also rose 0.2%.
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