U.S. stocks decline on stalled debt efforts
Industrials sector is the hardest hit after 3M results disappoint NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks closed near session lows Tuesday as the extended standoff in Washington over hiking the debt ceiling went unresolved. “Profits drive stock prices and profits are phenomenal, but it just seems that the private sector is in its own little oasis now,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank, said of Wall Street’s focus on what he called Washington‘s “ideological divide.“ NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks closed near session lows Tuesday as the extended standoff in Washington over hiking the debt ceiling went unresolved. “Profits drive stock prices and profits are phenomenal, but it just seems that the private sector is in its own little oasis now,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank, said of Wall Street’s focus on what he called Washington‘s “ideological divide.“ In its third straight losing session, the Dow industrials DJIA -0.73% fell 91.50 points, or 0.7%, to 12,501.30, with 24 of its 30 components declining. Losses were led by 3M Co. MMM +0.36% , which fell 5.4%. The industrial giant said its quarterly results were dented by the disaster in Japan and declining demand for LCD televisions. The S&P 500 Index SPX -0.41% fell 5.49 points, or 0.4%, to 1,331.94, with industrials the hardest hit and technology up the most among its 10 industry groups. Falling the most among the index’s components, AK Steel Holding Corp. AKS +0.39% shares declined 17% after the company forecast a drop in third-quarter shipments due to higher costs for raw materials. The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP -0.10% shed gains by the close, edging down 2.84 points, or 0.1%, to 2,839.96. Treasury prices gained as expectations that U.S. lawmakers would agree to hike the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid a default heightened investor demand at Tuesday’s auction of $35 billion in two-year notes. Yields on the 10-year note 10_YEAR +0.30% , which move inversely to prices, fell 4 basis points to 2.96%. Read more on bonds. Taxing issues Equities displayed little reaction to a combination of improved consumer confidence and slightly lighter new-home sales data, with the focus remaining on the political stalemate that had President Barack Obama calling for a compromise on hiking the debt ceiling, with an Aug. 2 deadline just a week away. On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats labored to round up votes for dual debt proposals to avoid a potential default. “Each day they fail to come to an agreement is bringing in some nervous selling pressure. It’s very distracting for investors who don’t know how to position themselves,” said Marc Pado, U.S. market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald. “Earnings and the economy, that’s what I’d rather talk about, but we can’t focus on that with such an overwhelming negative out there,” he added. For every one stock rising, two fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where 837.2 million shares traded by the closing bell. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures GC1Q +0.17% ended at a record $1,616.80 an ounce, while crude futures rose to finish at $99.59 a barrel
Caveat emptor !!!!
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stock futures dropped and gold hit a record on Monday after President Barack Obama and Congress failed to reach a debt-ceiling deal, hiking fears of a U.S. downgrade.
“This cannot go on forever. At some stage in the next two weeks, we will either have a default, a downgrade or a deal,” said David Kelly, chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds, of the scenario that in the latest twist, has a divided Congress preparing rival budget plans.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJ1U -0.94% fell 89 points, or 0.7%, at 12,532 and those on the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index SP1U +0.03% slumped 10.70 points to 1,330.3.
Nasdaq 100 futures ND1U -0.07% shed 16.25 points to 2,411.75.
Gold futures for August deliveryGC1Q +0.18% hit a record $1,624.30 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Read more on gold.
During the weekend, talks between Obama and Republicans in Congress failed to yield a plan to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. Read more on the U.S. debt stalemate.
“With the world’s largest economy now just eight days away from running out of money, once again we’re left looking at the unthinkable proposition that Washington is pushed to default on interest repayments and the whole concept of the risk-free rate of return is thrown into turmoil,” said Chris Weston, market analyst with IG Markets, in a note.
Adding to global concerns, ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Greece’s sovereign debt by three notches, just days after euro-zone countries agreed to provide another debt-support package.
Markets in Asia as well as in Europe also slumped on concerns the global debt crisis will further hit growth and demand. Japan’s Nikkei JP:NIK +0.48% ended 0.8% lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index HK:HSI +1.25% dropped 0.7%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index XX:SXXP -0.44% fell 0.3% in midday trading.
On the corporate front this week, Wall Street awaits more quarterly financial results including those from Texas Instruments Inc. TXN +0.32% later on Monday. The firm, which lowered its sales and earnings outlooks in June, is expected to post earnings of 54 cents a share, on revenue of $3.44 billion, according to the average forecast of analysts surveyed by FactSet Research. Read more on Texas Instruments’ earnings.
Earlier, oil-field services company Baker Hughes Inc. BHI -0.10% said second-quarter net profit more than tripled to $338 million, or 77 cents a share.
In the currency markets, the dollar index DXY +0.07% , which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, slipped to 74.112
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