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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock Market News for Jun 16, 2025
Wall Street closed sharply lower on Friday, pulled down by tech and financial stocks. Investor mood was jittery on Iran's retaliation against Israel's attack, and the situation in the Middle East escalating heavily. All three benchmark indexes closed the session in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) lost 1.8%, or 769.83 points, to close at 42,197.79. Twenty-eight components of the 30-stock index ended in negative territory, while two ended in positive. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 255.66 points, or 1.3%, to close at 19,406.83. The S&P 500 slid 68.29 points, or 1.1%, to close at 5,976.97. Ten of the 11 broad sectors of the benchmark index closed in the red. The Financials Select Sector SPDR (XLF), the Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) declined 2%, 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) advanced 1.4%. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) increased 15.5% to 20.82. A total of 17.9 billion shares were traded on Friday, lower than the last 20-session average of 18.2 billion. Decliners outnumbered advancers by a 6.1-to-1 ratio on the S&P 500. On Friday, markets felt war jitters as escalating tensions between Iran and Israel unnerved investors and triggered a broad selloff across global equity markets. Reports of missile exchanges and drone strikes between the two nations heightened fears of a larger Middle East conflict, raising concerns over global oil supply disruptions and geopolitical instability. Crude oil prices soared above $90 per barrel during intraday trading amid worries that a persisting conflict could disrupt the oil supply chain through the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for global energy supplies. The energy sector saw modest gains due to the surge in oil prices, but that was not enough to offset sharp declines in technology, financials and industrials. Safe-haven assets like gold and U.S. Treasury bonds gained as investors fled equities in search of stability. If tensions escalate further or end up drawing in other regional powers, the financial implications could be severe, potentially derailing the recent rally in U.S. equities driven by hopes of interest rate cuts and economic recovery. As geopolitical risks intensified, traders trimmed exposure to risk assets, causing a sudden reversal in sentiment that had been largely optimistic throughout early June. However, on cue, defense stocks took center stage. Consequently, shares of Lockheed Martin Corporation LMT and Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC rose 3.7% and 3.9%, respectively. Both currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. In the week, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq and the Dow fell 0.4%, 0.6% and 1.3%, respectively. The week started off on a good note with the United States and China negotiating a trade deal in London, and both the consumer and producer side inflation indicators showed that prices had gone up below expectations. However, a full-scale conflict between Israel and Iran that broke out late in the week weighed on the markets and pared whatever gains had been made. The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment for June came in at 60.5, increasing significantly from May's 52.2. This was the index's highest reading since February, when it was 64.7. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock Market News for Feb 21, 2025
U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday after the S&P 500 hit all-time highs in the previous two sessions as concerns grew after retail behemoth Walmart gave a disappointing guidance that raised concern about the economy's health. All three major indexes ended in negative territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slid 1% or 450.94 points, to close at 44,176.65 points. The S&P 500 declined 0.4% or 26.63 points, to finish at 6,117.52 points. Financials and consumer discretionary stocks were the worst performers. The Financials Select Sector SPDR (XLF) lost 1.5%, while the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 0.9%. The Industrials Select Sector SPDR (XLI) declined 0.7%. Eight of the 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in negative territory. The tech-heavy Nasdaq shed 0.5% or 93.89 points to end at 19,962.36 points. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was up 2.55% to 15.66. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a 1.13-to-1 ratio. On the Nasdaq, a 1.69-to-1 ratio favored declining issues. A total of 16.36 billion shares were traded on Thursday, higher than the last 20-session average of 15.57 billion. Stocks retreated sharply from their earlier highs on Thursday. The decline came after retail behemoth Walmart, Inc. (WMT) issued current fiscal year sales and profit guidance that fell short of analysts' expectations. Walmart said that it expects current fiscal year sales to grow between 3% and 4%. Walmart's weak guidance overshadowed the company's fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed expectations. Walmart reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings of $0.66 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.65 per share. However, the company's shares fell 6.5%. Walmart has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Other major retailers also suffered following Walmart's announcement. Shares of Target Corporation (TGT) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) declined 2% and 2.6%, respectively. Walmart's poor sales and profit guidance weighed on the broader market on Thursday, which is witnessing for the past several sessions on fears of a potential global trade war. President Donald Trump's tariff plans have been making investors jittery. Trump announced 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports earlier this month before pausing them for a month. However, he has already imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports. On Wednesday, he announced 25% tariffs on the import of pharmaceuticals, autos, and semiconductors. It is still not clear if the tariff will target specific countries or be broad-based. However, Trump's tariff plans have already raised concerns of a global trade war as the impacted countries will also likely impose retaliatory tariffs. The Labor Department reported on Thursday that jobless claims totaled 219,000 for the week ending Feb. 15, increasing 5,000 from the previous week's revised level of 214,000. The four-week moving average was 215,250, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 216,250. Continuing claims came in at 1,869,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level of 1,845,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,862,500 a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 1,870,250. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on click here. Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
