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US stocks slide punctures 2-month streak of gains
Source: Agencies |
April 8, 2010, Thursday
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A LATE-day slide broke the stock market's recent calm yesterday after concerns grew that shares are overheated.
A mix of concerns including a drop in consumer borrowing and a slide in oil prices hit a market that analysts said has been looking tired. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 72 points after repeated attempts this week to cross the psychological threshold of 11,000, a level it hasn't seen in 18 months.
The Dow fell by more than 100 points during trading for the first time since Feb. 25.
Analysts said the market has been due for a drop after two months of steady gains. The benchmark Standard & Poor's index reached an 18-month high on Tuesday. It had risen 12.6 percent in just two months. Gains that size often take a year to materialize.
The market found some support in afternoon trading following strong demand at a government bond auction. That sent interest rates lower following a spike on Monday.
The drop in stocks resumed in the final hour of trading, however, after the Federal Reserve said consumer borrowing fell by US$11.5 billion in February. Analysts had expected a modest gain of US$500 million. The drop, resulting from weakness in credit cards and auto loans, raised concerns that consumer spending will remain weak.
The Dow fell 72.47, or 0.7 percent, to 10,897.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 6.99, or 0.6 percent, to 1,182.45, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 5.65, or 0.2 percent, to 2,431.16.
Stocks started the day weaker after Greece's borrowing costs rose again and its stock market slid on concerns that the country could default on its debt. Greece's financial woes have undermined confidence in Europe's shared currency, the euro, and caused jitters on world markets.
Even with the setbacks triggered by Greece's fiscal crisis, U.S. stocks have been on a nearly unbroken climb for 13 months. The past two months of gains have come mainly from modest moves upward, in contrast to the triple-digit gains that were common early in the market's recovery. Investors have been encouraged by a string of reports showing steady improvement in the economy, including a report that U.S. employers created 162,000 jobs in March, the most in three years.
The Dow had flirted with the 11,000 level in recent days, but hadn't crossed it. It came within 12 points of 11,000 on Monday and Tuesday before retreating.
Mark Coffelt, portfolio manager at Empiric Funds in Austin, Texas, said stocks had been due for a slide after two months of steady gains, but that any drop is likely to be modest because so many investors are waiting to put money in the market.
"We're probably a little overdue for a correction," Coffelt said. "I think it's going to be pretty light as much of the public is underinvested."
The government's auction of US$21 billion in 10-year notes saw stronger demand than in recent months. The 10-year note is used as a benchmark for many consumer loans. Bond yields have been rising in recent weeks, which has pushed interest rates higher.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 3.87 percent from 3.96 percent late Tuesday. On Monday, its yield climbed above 4 percent for only the second time since October 2008.
The concern has been that if rates rise too fast, it could slow the economic recovery. The Mortgage Bankers Association said the average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages surged to 5.31 percent last week from 5.04 percent a week earlier.
Denis Amato, chief investment officer at Ancora Advisors in Cleveland, said a rise in rates could stall the stock market's climb. He noted that historically stocks continue to rise when rates start to creep up because the ease in demand for safety holdings is a sign that investors feel more confident about the economy.
If rates continue to climb, however, concern builds that higher borrowing costs will slow a recovery.
"Eventually it catches up and they recognize that, well yeah, things are getting better but it's going to mean higher rates," Amato said.
The dollar rose against other major currencies. Gold rose.
Exxon Mobil Corp. fell 56 cents to US$67.34, while Chevron Corp. slid 51 cents to US$77.37.
About two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.2 billion shares compared with 936.2 million Tuesday.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.02, or 0.3 percent, to 699.46.
Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 lost 0.7 percent. Investors are concerned that debt problems in Greece and other European countries could upend a global economic recovery.
A mix of concerns including a drop in consumer borrowing and a slide in oil prices hit a market that analysts said has been looking tired. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 72 points after repeated attempts this week to cross the psychological threshold of 11,000, a level it hasn't seen in 18 months.
The Dow fell by more than 100 points during trading for the first time since Feb. 25.
Analysts said the market has been due for a drop after two months of steady gains. The benchmark Standard & Poor's index reached an 18-month high on Tuesday. It had risen 12.6 percent in just two months. Gains that size often take a year to materialize.
The market found some support in afternoon trading following strong demand at a government bond auction. That sent interest rates lower following a spike on Monday.
The drop in stocks resumed in the final hour of trading, however, after the Federal Reserve said consumer borrowing fell by US$11.5 billion in February. Analysts had expected a modest gain of US$500 million. The drop, resulting from weakness in credit cards and auto loans, raised concerns that consumer spending will remain weak.
The Dow fell 72.47, or 0.7 percent, to 10,897.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 6.99, or 0.6 percent, to 1,182.45, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 5.65, or 0.2 percent, to 2,431.16.
Stocks started the day weaker after Greece's borrowing costs rose again and its stock market slid on concerns that the country could default on its debt. Greece's financial woes have undermined confidence in Europe's shared currency, the euro, and caused jitters on world markets.
Even with the setbacks triggered by Greece's fiscal crisis, U.S. stocks have been on a nearly unbroken climb for 13 months. The past two months of gains have come mainly from modest moves upward, in contrast to the triple-digit gains that were common early in the market's recovery. Investors have been encouraged by a string of reports showing steady improvement in the economy, including a report that U.S. employers created 162,000 jobs in March, the most in three years.
The Dow had flirted with the 11,000 level in recent days, but hadn't crossed it. It came within 12 points of 11,000 on Monday and Tuesday before retreating.
Mark Coffelt, portfolio manager at Empiric Funds in Austin, Texas, said stocks had been due for a slide after two months of steady gains, but that any drop is likely to be modest because so many investors are waiting to put money in the market.
"We're probably a little overdue for a correction," Coffelt said. "I think it's going to be pretty light as much of the public is underinvested."
The government's auction of US$21 billion in 10-year notes saw stronger demand than in recent months. The 10-year note is used as a benchmark for many consumer loans. Bond yields have been rising in recent weeks, which has pushed interest rates higher.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 3.87 percent from 3.96 percent late Tuesday. On Monday, its yield climbed above 4 percent for only the second time since October 2008.
The concern has been that if rates rise too fast, it could slow the economic recovery. The Mortgage Bankers Association said the average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages surged to 5.31 percent last week from 5.04 percent a week earlier.
Denis Amato, chief investment officer at Ancora Advisors in Cleveland, said a rise in rates could stall the stock market's climb. He noted that historically stocks continue to rise when rates start to creep up because the ease in demand for safety holdings is a sign that investors feel more confident about the economy.
If rates continue to climb, however, concern builds that higher borrowing costs will slow a recovery.
"Eventually it catches up and they recognize that, well yeah, things are getting better but it's going to mean higher rates," Amato said.
The dollar rose against other major currencies. Gold rose.
Exxon Mobil Corp. fell 56 cents to US$67.34, while Chevron Corp. slid 51 cents to US$77.37.
About two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.2 billion shares compared with 936.2 million Tuesday.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.02, or 0.3 percent, to 699.46.
Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 lost 0.7 percent. Investors are concerned that debt problems in Greece and other European countries could upend a global economic recovery.
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