Big Tech’s declines weigh on Wall Street
Another slide in technology companies helped pull stocks lower on Wall Street Thursday, extending losses from the day before.
The S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent after having been down 1.7 percent earlier. The selling was widespread, with eight of the 11 sectors that make up the benchmark index ending the day lower. The sectors that include Amazon, Facebook and Apple took the heaviest losses.
The selling came a day after the Federal Reserve said it will keep interest rates at nearly zero for years to support the wheezing economy. The statement failed to encourage Wall Street and the S&P 500 recorded its first loss in four days Wednesday.
Low interest rates are usually a boon for investors, sending stocks soaring. So why the sell-off? Analysts gave varying reasons for the market’s weakness. Among them: the gloomy outlook Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave for the economy’s prospects and built-up expectations by some that the Fed would be even more generous with its stimulus. It isn’t the first hangover stocks have suffered following a rate announcement by the Fed.
market really got a bunch of nothing from the Fed,” said Shawn Cruz, senior market strategist at TD Ameritrade. “Maybe that would be OK if we were continuing along with the recovery, but the recovery is starting to decelerate.”
While the market took more losses Thursday, they selling eased toward the end of the day. The S&P 500 fell 28.48 points to 3,357.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 130.40 points, or 0.5 percent, to 27,901.98. It had been down 384 points. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, slid 140.19 points, or 1.3 percent, to 10,910.28.
The Russell 2000 index of small company stocks gave up 9.73 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,542.60.
The sell-off cut into the market’s gains this week on Monday and Tuesday. The S&P 500 is still up 0.5 percent for the week, but down 4.1 percent so far this month after five-straight monthly gains.
Another possibility for the downward turn the market has taken the past two days is the diminishing odds that Congress will deliver more aid for the economy anytime soon after benefits for unemployed workers and other stimulus expired recently. Investors say such aid is crucial for the recov“The ery, and Powell talked about the importance of it in a press conference Wednesday.
The Fed’s actions in the wake of the economic slump, along with any further actions, could have a diminishing impact and the latest statements may be a “warning shot across the bow of Congress that they need to do something,” Cruz said.
A report on Thursday showed that another 860,000 workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. But partisan disagreements on Capitol Hill have delayed any renewal of Congressional support.