Economy

Wall Street ends choppy day lower after jobs data

Published

1 year ago

July 9, 2023

Wall Street ends choppy day lower after jobs data

By Lewis Krauskopf, Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Johann M Cherian

(Reuters) – Wall Street’s main indexes ended lower on Friday in a seesaw session, as investors digested a U.S. jobs report that showed weaker-than-expected growth and awaited more economic data and corporate earnings in the weeks ahead.

The U.S. added the fewest jobs in 2-1/2 years in June, although persistently strong wage growth pointed to still-tight labor market conditions, U.S. government data showed.

The benchmark was solidly higher for most of the afternoon, but stocks sold off toward the end of the session.

“Investors are more cautious going into a very important week with the beginning of earnings season and a very important inflation reading mid-week,” said Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial (NASDAQ:).

The report showing nonfarm payrolls increased by 209,000 jobs last month followed a sell-off on Thursday sparked by a surge in June private payrolls that stoked fears the Federal Reserve would move aggressively to hike interest rates to tame inflation.

“The jobs report today I think is consistent with what the Fed would like to see,” said Josh Jamner, investment strategy analyst at ClearBridge Investments.

“That’s not to say, mission accomplished or the job is done. But continued cooling in the jobs market ultimately will make their lives easier.”

On Friday, the fell 187.38 points, or 0.55%, to 33,734.88, the S&P 500 lost 12.64 points, or 0.29%, to 4,398.95 and the dropped 18.33 points, or 0.13%, to 13,660.72.

Among S&P 500 sectors, defensive groups fell the most, with consumer staples down 1.3%. Energy gained 2.1% while materials rose 0.9%.

The small-cap ended up 1.2% on the day.

Major indexes ended with weekly losses after a strong first-half of the year. For the week, the S&P 500 fell about 1.2%, the Dow slid roughly 2% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.9%.

The Fed is still widely expected to raise rates at its meeting later this month after pausing in June, as job growth remains above the pace in the decade before the pandemic.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said he does not disagree with his fellow U.S. central bankers that rates will need to rise a couple more times this year to beat back too-high inflation.

In company news, Levi Strauss & Co (NYSE:) shares tumbled 7.7% after the denim clothing maker cut its annual profit forecast.

Shares of Rivian Automotive surged 14.2% after the electric vehicle maker reported better-than-expected quarterly deliveries.

U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba (NYSE:) gained 8% after Chinese authorities said they will impose a $984 million fine on Ant Group, ending the affiliate fintech company’s years-long regulatory overhaul.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a 2.49-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.00-to-1 ratio favored advancers.

The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and five new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 45 new highs and 63 new lows.

About 10.3 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, compared with the 11.1 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.

Economy

Russian central bank says it needs months to make sure CPI falling before rate cuts -RBC

Published

9 months ago

December 26, 2023

Russian central bank says it needs months to make sure CPI falling before rate cuts -RBC

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s central bank will need two to three months to make sure that inflation is steadily declining before taking any decision on interest rate cuts, the bank’s governor Elvira Nabiullina told RBC media on Sunday.

The central bank raised its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 16% earlier in December, hiking for the fifth consecutive meeting in response to stubborn inflation, and suggested that its tightening cycle was nearly over.

Nabiullina said it was not yet clear when exactly the regulator would start cutting rates, however.

“We really need to make sure that inflation is steadily decreasing, that these are not one-off factors that can affect the rate of price growth in a particular month,” she said.

Nabiullina said the bank was taking into account a wide range of indicators but primarily those that “characterize the stability of inflation”.

“This will take two or three months or more – it depends on how much the wide range of indicators that characterize sustainable inflation declines,” she said.

The bank will next convene to set its benchmark rate on Feb. 16.

The governor also said the bank should have started monetary policy tightening earlier than in July, when it embarked on the rate-hiking cycle.

Economy

China identifies second set of projects in $140 billion spending plan

Published

9 months ago

December 25, 2023

China identifies second set of projects in $140 billion spending plan

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Workers walk past an under-construction area with completed office towers in the background, in Shenzhen’s Qianhai new district, Guangdong province, China August 25, 2023. REUTERS/David Kirton/File Photo

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s top planning body said on Saturday it had identified a second batch of public investment projects, including flood control and disaster relief programmes, under a bond issuance and investment plan announced in October to boost the economy.

With the latest tranche, China has now earmarked more than 800 billion yuan of its 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion) in additional government bond issuance in the fourth quarter, as it focuses on fiscal steps to shore up the flagging economy.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement on Saturday it had identified 9,600 projects with planned investment of more than 560 billion yuan.

China’s economy, the world’s second largest, is struggling to regain its footing post-COVID-19 as policymakers grapple with tepid consumer demand, weak exports, falling foreign investment and a deepening real estate crisis.

The 1 trillion yuan in additional bond issuance will widen China’s 2023 budget deficit ratio to around 3.8 percent from 3 percent, the state-run Xinhua news agency has said.

“Construction of the projects will improve China’s flood control system, emergency response mechanism and disaster relief capabilities, and better protect people’s lives and property, so it is very significant,” the NDRC said.

The agency said it will coordinate with other government bodies to make sure that funds are allocated speedily for investment and that high standards of quality are maintained in project construction.

($1 = 7.1315 renminbi)

Economy

Russian central bank says it needs months to make sure CPI falling before rate cuts -RBC

Published

9 months ago

December 25, 2023

Nabiullina said it was not yet clear when exactly the regulator would start cutting rates, however.

“We really need to make sure that inflation is steadily decreasing, that these are not one-off factors that can affect the rate of price growth in a particular month,” she said.

Nabiullina said the bank was taking into account a wide range of indicators but primarily those that “characterize the stability of inflation”.

“This will take two or three months or more – it depends on how much the wide range of indicators that characterize sustainable inflation declines,” she said.

The bank will next convene to set its benchmark rate on Feb. 16.

The governor also said the bank should have started monetary policy tightening earlier than in July, when it embarked on the rate-hiking cycle.