Stocks moved into positive territory Friday, with the Dow pulling just over the flat line as the prospect of deeper and earlier interest-rate cuts continued to buoy Wall Street’s spirits. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) ticked up 0.1%, or about 30 points, after the blue-chip index closed at a fresh all-time high Thursday. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was virtually unchanged, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained 0.5%. Markets rejoiced after the Federal Reserve’s surprise shift in tone to dovish this week, as it signaled more rate cuts in 2024 and acknowledged its anti-inflation campaign is gaining traction. That has helped drive a record-setting rally in US stocks, and […]
US stocks slipped on Wednesday amid fresh signs of economic malaise, as oil prices hit lows not seen since June and investors looked to data that signaled more cooling in the labor market. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell about 0.4% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped more nearly 0.2% or about 70 points. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) shed roughly 0.6%. Wednesday brought fresh signs of softening in the labor market, as the ADP gauge on private payrolls missed expectations, finding that 103,000 jobs were added in November. That came after Tuesday’s soft reading on jobs openings bolstered optimism for a Fed pivot to cutting interest rates. Markets are […]
