Stocks fall broadly on report of upcoming tax plan
report that President Biden will propose a hefty tax increase on the gains wealthy individuals reap from investments triggered a stock market sell-off Thursday afternoon that left indexes broadly lower.
Investors who earn $1 million or more would have to pay a 39.6% tax rate on any capital gains, nearly double the current rate for Americans in that income bracket, according to the report by Bloomberg. A separate surtax on investment income could boost the overall federal tax rate for wealthy investors as high as 43.3%, the report said, citing unnamed people familiar with the proposal.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 0.9%, wiping out an early gain. The benchmark index gave up nearly all of its gain from the day before, leaving it on track for its first weekly loss in five weeks.
The selling was widespread, with every sector in the S&P 500 closing lower. Technology stocks, banks and companies that rely on consumer spending accounted for much of the skid. Treasury yields held mostly steady.
The S&P 500 lost 38.44 points to 4,134.98. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 321.41 points, or 0.9%, to 33,815.90. The Nasdaq slid 131.81 points, or 0.9%, to 13,818.41.
The S&P 500, which set a record high Friday, started the week with a two-day slide before closing higher Wednesday. It’s still down 1.2% for the week.
Smaller-company stocks also lost ground. The Russell 2000 index gave up 7.01 points, or 0.3%, to 2,232.61.
Stocks have rallied in recent weeks amid a string of encouraging reports on hiring, retail sales and other economic data. COVID-19 vaccinations and massive support from the U.S. government and Federal Reserve are fueling expectations for solid corporate profit growth as more businesses reopen after being forced to close or operate on a limited basis due to the pandemic.
The last round of stimulus from the government helped lift retail sales, and investors now have to weigh other proposals in Washington, including possible changes to tax laws and a proposed $2.3-trillion infrastructure package that Biden has called for spending over eight years.
Washington aside, investors are focusing on earnings as the bulk of compaA nies in the S&P 500 spend the next few weeks reporting their financial results. Wall Street is hoping to get a better sense of just how much companies in various sectors are benefiting from the economic recovery. They are also listening for clues on prospects for the recovery to continue as vaccine distribution rolls on and people try to return to some semblance of normality.
AT&T rose 4.2% after reporting results that beat expectations, helped by higher wireless phone charges as well as the success of its streaming service HBOMax.
Equifax jumped 14.9% after also reporting strong results.
Union Pacific fell 2.4% after the railroad operator reported a 9% drop in profit.
The broader market has had a choppy week of ups and downs as Wall Street digests earnings and tries to gauge how much and how quickly the U.S. and global economies will recover through 2021.
Credit Suisse dropped 3.6% after the Swiss bank announced it would issue more stock to help it recover from the losses it suffered because of the implosion of a hedge fund earlier this year. Credit Suisse had been a primary backer of Archegos Capital Management, which collapsed last month after several of its bets went sour.
Investors got a bit of good news on the economy when the Labor Department reported that the number of Americans filing for unemployment fell again last week. Jobless claims were at 547,000, the lowest point since the pandemic struck and an encouraging sign that layoffs are slowing.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 1.55% from 1.56% late Wednesday.
During my decade in public safety, I learned something interesting that is seldom mentioned and could be factored into finding solutions for homelessness.
A portion of homeless people are homeless part time. Where do they go? Home — where they are periodically accepted and rejected due to cycles of addiction and unemployment that frustrate their loved ones.
In addressing the problem, we need to know how many families there are that could benefit from support if they take in a homeless relative. Some may be unable or unwilling, but a portion may be an untapped resource.
Family members are the most likely to be invested in breaking negative cycles, and supporting them could be a less costly form of housing unsheltered people. Roni Roseberg San Bernardino
What are the city’s and county’s rights if a homeless person refuses to accept shelter or other help? Would the homeless person be allowed to go to another encampment?
In a TV interview a few weeks ago, an Echo Park homeless man said he did not want to leave the encampment that was being swept because when he lives on the street, he can do what he wants.
I have voted in favor of all funding measures to alleviate homelessness and donated to various charities that support such efforts. At what point will homeless people no longer be allowed to choose to do whatever they want at my and other taxpayers’ expense?
Carla St. Romain Pasadena