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Asian Shares Fall as Oil Lingers Above $120, Yen Sinks | Business News

Asian Shares Fall as Oil Lingers Above 0, Yen Sinks | Business News

By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Small business Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Shares have been typically reduced in Asia on Thursday as investors watched for fresh signals of inflation and crude oil charges hovered above $120 a barrel, incorporating to rate pressures.

Benchmarks declined across the region, besides in Tokyo, exactly where a weakening yen despatched challenges of some Japanese exporters better. Nintendo surged 1.4{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} in early morning trading, although Toyota Motor Corp.’s shares attained .7{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

The Japanese yen ongoing its slide to new 20-calendar year lows in opposition to the U.S. greenback, a development the Intercontinental Monetary Fund and other analysts hope to continue for a even though mainly because of greater interest premiums in the U.S. and Europe, when compared to Japan, exactly where prolonged-term desire premiums keep on being at close to-zero.

The dollar was at 134.22 Japanese yen early Thursday, up from 134.20 late Wednesday. The euro expense $1.0714, inching up from $1.0718.

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The Governing Council of the European Central Bank is holding a monetary policy assembly later in the working day. Feedback from Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Lender, have markets anticipating an desire charge hike in July, with probably additional to comply with.

“Nonetheless, the economic recovery continues to be fragile and matter to down aspect challenges from geo-political risks, eroding genuine incomes, supply chain constraints and limited fiscal help,” explained Venkateswaran Lavanya of the Asia & Oceania Treasury Department at Mizuho Lender in Singapore.

“To that stop, ECB will not want to toss the child out with the bathtub drinking water calibrating monetary tightening in a far more sustained, even if gradual, speed,” she reported in a commentary.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was tiny altered, inching up .1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 28,278.45. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 1.1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 7,045.00. South Korea’s Kospi fell .6{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 2,610.66. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng get rid of .4{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 21,926.78, even though the Shanghai Composite missing .2{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 3,257.20.

The impression from inflation has worsened because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has set a lot more force on energy and food stuff prices. U.S. crude oil price ranges rose 2.3{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} on Wednesday and are up 63{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} for the year, while wheat price ranges are up 39{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} in 2022. Source chains have also gotten tighter pursuing a collection of lockdowns for Chinese cities preventing COVID-19 conditions.

Early Thursday, benchmark U.S. crude was up 35 cents to $122.46 a barrel. It received $2.70 on Wednesday.

Brent crude, the intercontinental typical for pricing oil, gained 51 cents to $124.09 a barrel.

“What buyers want to recognize is it is going to be a very long time right until inflation figures search excellent,” said Brian Levitt, global market strategist at Invesco. “What they need to have to target on is irrespective of whether it will get better or worse similar to anticipations.”

“As lengthy as commodity price ranges continue to be elevated, its heading to be extra complicated to see headline inflation come down,” Levitt mentioned.

Better inflation strain from the conflict in Ukraine and lockdowns in China prompted the Business for Financial Cooperation and Improvement to minimize its forecast for financial growth, subsequent quite a few other worldwide teams, together with the World Lender.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, testifying right before the the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, mentioned she expects inflation to continue to be elevated and bringing that down is a top precedence. The Fed is commonly predicted to raise its essential short-term interest charge by fifty percent a percentage issue at its conference next 7 days. That would be the 2nd straight boost of double the standard total, and traders expect a 3rd in July.

Stocks fell broadly on Wall Road, erasing most of their gains for the week, as investors have been discouraged to see much more evidence of inflation’s affect on firms and another gloomy outlook on the world overall economy.

The S&P 500 index fell 1.1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 4,115.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Regular lose .8{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 32,910.90 and the Nasdaq slipped .7{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 12,086.27.

Lesser corporation shares fell more than the rest of the industry. The Russell 2000 declined 1.5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 1,891.01.

Bond yields rose. The yield on the 10-12 months Treasury, which banking institutions use to set premiums on home loans and other financial loans, rose to 3.02{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} from 2.97{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} late Tuesday.

The major fears on Wall Avenue continue to be growing inflation and whether or not the Federal Reserve’s shift to aggressively elevate fascination fees will enable mood the impact or possibly thrust the economic climate into a recession.

Inflation proceeds to sting firms. Lawn treatment solutions company Scotts Miracle-Gro slumped 8.9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} soon after slashing its financial gain forecast for the 12 months simply because retailers are not replenishing orders as predicted.

Retailers have been warning that inflation is crimping profits.

The Fed’s purpose is to slow financial expansion plenty of to cushion inflation’s effect. Demand from customers for merchandise experienced been outpacing supplies and creation capability through most of the submit-pandemic restoration. But, buyers fear the Fed could go also significantly also rapid in elevating fees, nudging the U.S. economic system into a recession.

Wall Avenue is closely looking at economic info for alerts that could prompt the Fed to most likely relieve up on the dimension of its price will increase. The following significant update on inflation comes Friday, when the U.S. govt releases its hottest looking at on the consumer cost index.

AP Enterprise Writer Damian J. Troise contributed.

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

Copyright 2022 The Connected Press. All rights reserved. This materials could not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Dow sinks 800 points as new COVID variant fans lockdown fears

Dow sinks 800 points as new COVID variant fans lockdown fears

U.S. stocks plunged on Friday, with global markets rattled by a new coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, which fanned concerns that new growth-crushing lockdowns could be imposed if the variant spreads widely.

Trading volumes were low due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., which may have exacerbated the volatility. 

However, major benchmarks fell sharply during the holiday-shortened session, with the Dow (^DJI) diving by more than 900 points — logging its worst day of the year and its third worst Thanksgiving selloff ever. Meanwhile, S&P 500 (^GSPC) sank by over 2{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, its biggest drop since February, and the Nasdaq (^IXIC) also fell sharply, but its losses were partly contained by a rally in stay-at-home stocks.

A new coronavirus variant has been discovered in South Africa, leading to an emergency session of the World Health Organization. Dubbed “Omicron,” scientists say the new B.1.1.529 strain is a concern, because it harbors a large number of mutations found in other variants — including the fast-spreading Delta variant that exploded over much of the summer — and it seems to be rapidly spreading.

While there’s no evidence yet, health officials are worried that the mutating variant could dilute or resist the efficacy of vaccines.

“It goes without saying that it’s still too early to say exactly how big a threat the new B.1.1.529 strain poses to the global economy,” Neil Shearing, Group Chief Economist at Capital Economics, said in a note.

Still, “the lesson from the past couple of years is that it’s the restrictions that are imposed in response to the virus – rather than the virus itself – that causes the bulk of the economic damage. So, the key question is how governments will respond in the event that the B.1.1.529 strain spreads,” Shearling wrote.

“That in turn will hinge on the extent to which it escapes the vaccines and, importantly, causes strains in national healthcare systems,” he added — underscoring that governments in the U.S. and U.K. had taken a “learn to live with the virus” approach, and thus are far less likely than other regions to impose new restrictions.

BioNTech (BNTX) said on Friday it expects more data on the new coronavirus variant in South Africa within two weeks to help its shots should be reworked, and that the company and Pfizer (PFE) — its vaccine partner — could redesign its vaccine within 6 weeks, with an aim to distribute it within 100 days.

Pfizer surged as much as 8{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to record, signaling that the new variant could create demand for the vaccine.

While fears of COVID-19 dominated investors’ attention for much of 2020 and 2021, Pfizer confirms it could make variant vaccine in 100 days with the ability to make four billion doses in the first 12 months, according to Citi analyst Andrew Baum.

Travel and leisure-related stocks were among those hit the hardest early Friday, with Carnival Corp (CCL) and Royal Caribbean (RCL) down by 10{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} in premarket trading. United Airlines (UAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and American Airlines were down each 7{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} each. Boeing slipped 6{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}. Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide fell more than 5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

Travel platform Expedia (EXPE) was the fifth-worst performer in the S&P 500, dropping by 11{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} during the shortened trading day, while home sharing site Airbnb (ABNB) was down more than 5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

On the flip side, stay-at-home stocks gained Zoom (ZM) up 9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, while Netflix (NFLX) bounded higher by 2{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

Oil prices also swooned to the lowest levels in more than two months Friday sparking fears about a slowdown in demand.

U.S. oil dropped 10{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} its the worst day since April 2020, with U.S. crude futures down 6.2{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to $73.57 per barrel on perceived fears of falling demand amid the new variant.

Bond yields have also fallen as the market’s inflation fears temporarily gave way to the desire for safe-haven assets. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was down to 1.53{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} after closing at 1.63{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} on Wednesday.

“We’re still in a place where yields are so low that the safe haven of bonds isn’t as safe as it looks,” ProShares’ Simeon Hyman told Yahoo Finance Live on Friday. “You’re making not that much today on that little bit of rally in treasuries, so it’s a tough spot.”

Banks, which benefit from the higher interest rates, were broadly weaker as bond yields declined. Bank of America sinks 5.8{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, Wells Fargo drops 6.3{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, Citigroup loses 4.8{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, JPMorgan declines 4.7{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, Goldman Sachs sheds 3.9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} and Morgan Stanley tumbled 4.9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

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1:00 p.m. ET: Stocks slump on Black Friday, as new variant spooks investors

Here were the main moves in markets as of 1:00 p.m. ET:

  • S&P 500 (^GSPC): -106.65 (-2.27{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 4,594.81

  • Dow (^DJI): -903.59 (-2.52{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 34,900.79

  • Nasdaq (^IXIC): -353.57 (-2.23{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 15,491.66

  • Crude (CL=F): +$9.73 (-12.41{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $68.66 a barrel

  • Gold (GC=F): -$1.10 (-0.06{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $1,785.40 per ounce

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -1.4 bps to yield 1.54{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

11:15 a.m. ET: Carnival, travel slumps on fears of South African Covid variant

Cruise lines stocks continues to retreat as covid fears swelled. Carnival Corp (CCL) shed more than 12{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, while Royal Caribbean (RCL) sunk more than 11{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}. 

11:10 a.m. ET: Stocks slump midday

Here’s where markets were trading midday: 

  • S&P 500 (^GSPC): -93.46 (-1.99{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 4,608.00

  • Dow (^DJI): -913.69 (-2.55{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 34,890.69

  • Nasdaq (^IXIC): -318.08 (-2.02{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 15,523.46

  • Crude (CL=F): -$9.24 (-11.79{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $69.15 a barrel

  • Gold (GC=F): $13.30 (0.75{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $1,797.60 per ounce

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -1.49 bps to yield 1.5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

10:30 a.m. ET: The end of the interest rate differential play?

Friday’s decidedly risk-off tone is calling into question the level of aggressiveness with which the Federal Reserve may pull back on its stimulus. Only a day ago, some thought the rapid surge in prices could prompt the Fed to speed up a taper — or even hike rates faster. 

What a difference a day makes. Marc Chandler at Bannockburn Global FX, pointed out in a research note that the rise of a new variant is scrambling Fed expectations versus the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan: 

The dollar’s rally has been fueled by the prospect of a divergence of monetary policy that favored the Fed over the ECB and BOJ. Indeed, since the November 10 surprise jump in the October CPI to above 6{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}, we had emphasized the likelihood that the Fed would have to taper quicker to give it the flexibility to lift rates earlier if needed. Since then, 4-5 Fed officials and several large banks have also underscored this possibility. However, this scenario is being called into question today, which is evident in the swaps markets and the Fed funds futures.

9:30 a.m. ET: Stocks open sink 

Here’s where markets were trading just before the opening bell:

  • S&P 500 (^GSPC): -66.85 (-1.42{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 4,634.61

  • Dow (^DJI): -848.78 (-2.37{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 34,955.60

  • Nasdaq (^IXIC): -133.91 (-0.83{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 15,708.01

  • Crude (CL=F): -$5.34 (-6.81{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $73.05 a barrel

  • Gold (GC=F): $21.20 (1.19{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $1,805.50 per ounce

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -1.52 bps to yield 1.5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

7:55 a.m. ET Friday: Stock futures tumble 

Here’s where markets were trading Friday morning: 

  • S&P 500 futures (ES=F): 4,623.25, -75.75 (-1.61{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Dow futures (YM=F): 34,973.00, -776.00 (-2.17{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): 16,224.50, -141.50 (-0.86{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 30, 2021 in New York City. In afternoon trading the Dow was down over 250 points as investors continue to worry about inflation, wages and supply chain issues. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 30: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 30, 2021 in New York City. In afternoon trading the Dow was down over 250 points as investors continue to worry about inflation, wages and supply chain issues. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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S&P, Nasdaq pop to new records while Dow sinks after Fed

S&P, Nasdaq pop to new records while Dow sinks after Fed

Stocks traded mixed on Thursday, with tech stocks and the broader market setting new highs as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s decision to begin paring back some of its monetary policy support as the economic recovery progressed. 

Although the Dow dropped, tech stocks were boosted by Tesla, which set a new record high above $1200 per share, and helped the Nasdaq set a fresh record. The S&P 500 also eked out a new high. 

A day earlier, all of the major benchmarks set records, with the Fed’s latest monetary policy decision compounding with optimism over a slew of stronger-than-expected quarterly corporate earnings results. 

The Fed’s decision on Wednesday unfolded the way many investors had been expecting, wherein the central bank formally announced it would begin tapering its pandemic-era asset purchase program starting this month. That came as Federal Open Market Committee members deemed that the economy had made “substantial further progress” in recovering to warrant the gradual removal of this policy support. 

But importantly, the newly announced contours of the Fed’s tapering plan appeared to appease equity traders. 

“The Fed has baked in some flexibility in their tapering,” Ryan Nauman, Zephyr market strategist, told Yahoo Finance Live on Wednesday. “They were very clear that in November and December how much they were going to taper. After that, they did not put in a dollar amount on it.”

Specifically, the Fed said it would begin reducing its asset purchases this month by a total of $15 billion, and then by another $15 billion in December, but said the outlook for the pace of tapering in the future would depend on “changes in the economic outlook.” Fed Chair Jerome Powell also reiterated his prior stance that the ultimate end of the tapering process next year would not automatically signal the start to interest rate hikes. 

“So they added some flexibility, and a lot of it has to do with the uncertainty around inflation,” Nauman added. “And even though they said inflation is transitory, they added that word ‘expected,’ which kind of hedges their bets a little bit and buys them some more flexibility. And finally I think that [last] piece … is the timeline. They added more transparency, more clarity to the timeline and the markets really liked that … that transparency showing that they’re expecting inflation to start slowing during mid-2022, Q2, Q3.”

Separately Wednesday afternoon, third-quarter earnings season rolled on with a parade of names across industries reporting results. Booking Holdings (BKNG) share rose after third-quarter results pointed to a pick-up in travel trends especially in Europe, with revenue jumping 77{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} over last year to top Wall Street’s estimates. Semiconductor company Qualcomm (QCOM) also posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, revenue and guidance, suggesting strong demand was buoying the company despite a global chip shortage and supply chain snarls. Etsy (ETSY), on the other hand, offered a lower-than-expected forecast for the holiday shopping season, with the e-commerce site losing some momentum after a surge in online sales over the course of the pandemic. 

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4:05 p.m. ET: S&P 500 closes at a record high for sixth straight session, powered by jump in tech stocks

Here were the main moves in markets as of 4:05 p.m. ET:

  • S&P 500 (^GSPC): +19.49 (+0.42{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 4,680.06

  • Dow (^DJI): -33.35 (-0.09{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 36,124.23

  • Nasdaq (^IXIC): +128.72 (+0.81{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 15,940.31

  • Crude (CL=F): -$1.79 (-2.21{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $79.07 a barrel

  • Gold (GC=F): +$30.90 (+1.75{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to $1,794.80 per ounce

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -5.5 bps to yield 1.5240{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

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11:33 a.m. ET: Small cap and technology stocks could be some of the winners going forward: CIO 

Select areas of the market are poised to benefit as the Federal Reserve remains accommodative in its monetary policy posturing and the economic recovery moves along, and those could include small-cap and technology stocks, according to one strategist.

“We are seeing momentum right now both in small cap stocks … and technology stocks,” Kevin Mahn, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management president and chief investment officer, told Yahoo Finance Live on Thursday. “And we believe that as we move further and further away from the COVID-19 pandemic and more of the economy starts to open, technology will become an even more critical component of that reopening in areas such as … artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, fintech, and even 5G. as we try and expand our country’s broadband access.”

“So we see more upside potential for small-cap stocks as the economy continues to expand, and as credit conditions remain accommodative, but particularly in those areas of revolutionary technologies.” 

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10:00 a.m. ET: U.S. trade deficit hits new high

The Commerce Department said U.S. the trade gap surged 11.2{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to a record $80.9 billion in September. Exports tumbled 3.0{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to $207.6 billion in September. Goods exports plunged 4.7{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to $142.7 billion. The decline was led by industrial supplies, with crude oil exports decreasing $1.0 billion. Imports rose 0.6{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to a record $288.5 billion. Goods imports rose 0.8{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to $240.9 billion, also a record high.

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9:30 a.m ET: Stocks mixed at the open

Here were the main moves in markets as of 9:30 a.m. ET:

  • S&P 500 (^GSPC): 4,669.18, +8.61 (+0.18{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Dow (^DJI): 36,125.63, -31.95 (-0.09{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Nasdaq (^IXIC): 15,871.98, +60.39 (+0.38{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Crude (CL=F): $83.09 a barrel, +$2.23 (+2.76{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Gold (GC=F): $1,793.70, +29.80 (+1.69{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -1 bps to yield 1.5610{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

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8:36 a.m. ET: New jobless claims set fresh pandemic-era low, coming in below 300,000 for fourth straight week

New weekly jobless claims came at a fresh pandemic-era low, with further improvements in the labor market coming as companies continue to compete to attract and retain workers amid elevated demand.

Initial unemployment claims came in at 269,000 for the week ended Oct. 30, or the lowest since March 2020. This came following the prior week’s total of 283,000 new claims, with that sum upwardly revised from the 281,000 reported previously. Consensus economists were looking for 275,000 new claims for last week, according to Bloomberg consensus data. 

Continuing claims for regular state programs also fell more than expected to reach their best level since the start of the pandemic. These were at 2.105 million for the week ended Oct. 23, compared to the 2.150 million expected and 2.239 million from the prior week. 

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7:47 a.m. ET Thursday: Stock futures mixed after Fed decision, tech stocks outperform

Here’s where markets were trading Thursday morning:

  • S&P 500 futures (ES=F): +7 points (+0.15{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}), to 4,659.25

  • Dow futures (YM=F): -5 points (-0.01{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}), to 36,030.00

  • Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +62 points (+0.38{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 16,191.75

  • Crude (CL=F): $82.39 per barrel, +$1.53 (+1.89{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • Gold (GC=F): $1,779.50 per ounce, +$15.60 (+0.88{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a})

  • 10-year Treasury (^TNX): -0.2 bps to yield 1.577{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}

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6:07 p.m. ET Wednesday: Stock futures drift sideways

Here’s where markets were trading as the overnight session kicked off: 

  • S&P 500 futures (ES=F): +1.25 points (+0.03{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}), to 4,653.50

  • Dow futures (YM=F): -1 points (-0.00{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}), to 36,034.00

  • Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +8 points (+0.05{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) to 16,137.75

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 30, 2021 in New York City. In afternoon trading the Dow was down over 250 points as investors continue to worry about inflation, wages and supply chain issues. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 30: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 30, 2021 in New York City. In afternoon trading the Dow was down over 250 points as investors continue to worry about inflation, wages and supply chain issues. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Emily McCormick is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter