U.S. stocks edged lower as investors navigated a mix of rising oil prices, corporate earnings signals, and shifting expectations around Federal Reserve policy. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all turned down after early gains, reflecting a market grappling with geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns. Indexes Pull Back All three major indexes slipped roughly between 0.3% and 0.6%, giving back some of the previous session’s momentum. The downturn followed renewed volatility in energy markets and cautious sentiment around consumer spending. Oil Prices Add Fresh Pressure Crude prices extended their sharp rally, driven by heightened worries over a potential U.S.–Iran conflict. Brent crude climbed above $71 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate hovered near $66 — its biggest daily jump since October. Rising energy costs revived inflation concerns and weighed on equities. Walmart Earnings in Focus Walmart posted stronger‑than‑expected results, but its cautious pro...
U.S. Markets Tumble on Earnings, Bond Yields
U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, as investors digested mixed earnings reports from Microsoft and Alphabet while Treasury yields pushed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.32% to 33,035.93 points, the S&P 500 index slid 1.43% to 4,186.77 points, and the Nasdaq composite index plunged 2.43% to 12,821.22 points.
Alphabet shares slid more than 9% after the Google parent beat on earnings and revenue but fell short in its cloud business. Microsoft shares rose 3% after its own double beat showed its bets on AI were paying off for its cloud segment. Other tech giants such as Amazon and Meta also declined ahead of their earnings reports.
The earnings season also coincided with a surge in bond yields, as the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled their readiness to fight inflation by keeping interest rates high. The BoC held its key rate at 5.0%, but lowered its 2023 growth forecast to 1.2%. The Fed is expected to announce its tapering plans next week.
The higher yields weighed on rate-sensitive sectors such as technology and real estate, but boosted energy and financial stocks. The Canadian dollar traded for 79.23 cents US compared with 79.28 cents US on Tuesday.
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