U.S. stocks were mixed Thursday as investors braced for Netflix's (NFLX) earnings season to get into full swing.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was down about 0.1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was just above flat after ending lower in the previous session. The Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC) fell 0.3%, extending the recent weakness in tech stocks.
Stocks have struggled on concerns that inflation is no longer cooling and that the Federal Reserve may ease its rate cuts. Federal Reserve officials fueled those concerns Thursday when Atlanta Fed President Rafael Bostic reiterated that he has no plans to cut interest rates until the end of the year.
For this reason, company earnings are in the spotlight as investors focus on how well reports match their lofty expectations. TSMC (TSM)'s latest quarterly results were mixed. Taiwan's leading chip company warned about this year's growth outlook outside of its memory chip business, sending its stock price down more than 5%. However, the company showed an “insatiable” appetite for AI as it posted a higher than quarterly profit.
The focus of earnings has now shifted to Netflix, which is the first of the big tech companies to report. The streaming leader's financial update later Thursday is being seen by some as the first real test for stocks this earnings season, with mega-cap stocks still playing a big role in pushing the market higher.
U.S. Treasury yields, which have been a headwind for stocks of late, rose again on Thursday. The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) rose 6 basis points to trade around 4.64%.
Live8 update
Thursday, April 18, 2024 1:24 PM EDT
Stocks fell in afternoon trading
The S&P 500 index started off with four straight days of gains, but has now reversed and fallen.
The move came after multiple Fed officials warned there was no “urgency” to cut rates.U.S. Treasury yields, which have been a headwind for stocks of late, rose after the remarks.His 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) rose 6 basis points to trade around 4.64%.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 12:19 PM EDT
Gasoline prices: Why some parts of the U.S. are seeing 'significant increases' this week
Gasoline prices are on the rise nationwide, with the West Coast seeing the biggest increases in the past month. Drivers in New England may now see unusual spikes at the pump.
This week, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other Northeastern states switched to more expensive summer blend gasoline, with wholesale prices at 0.30 per gallon, according to Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at OPIS. ─It is said that the price rose by $0.32.
“These price increases will be on the streets for the rest of this week,” Kloza told Yahoo Finance. “We're going to see a lot of significant price increases in this region that will surprise consumers.”
The national average price for gasoline on Thursday was $3.67 a gallon, about a penny more than a year ago, according to AAA data.
Meanwhile, oil prices fell on Thursday, falling for the third consecutive session. West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) futures have fallen below $83 per barrel, while the international benchmark price of Brent crude oil (BZ=F) is hovering around $87 per barrel.
Please see here for the detail.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 11:35am EDT
Fed's Williams sees no 'urgency' to cut interest rates
Yahoo Finance's Jen Schonberger reports:
New York Fed President Williams said Thursday he sees no “urgency” to cut interest rates, becoming the latest central bank official to delay easing monetary policy.
He added that interest rates will have to come down at some point, but that will depend on the economy.
“I think interest rates are gradually moving toward their goal,” Williams said at the Semaphore conference in Washington, D.C.
Investors are increasingly pushing back their expectations for rate cuts, pricing in the first rate cut in September as the chances of a second cut this year become less likely.
Please see here for the detail.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 11:10am EDT
S&P 500, Nasdaq rebound led by gains in Meta and Nvidia
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose about 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively, on track to recover from four straight days of losses.
Meta (META) stock rose more than 3% and Nvidia (NVDA) rose more than 1% after the chipmaker fell 4% in the previous session.
The Nasdaq Composite Index sawawed early Thursday, but regained its footing in late morning trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.8%, led by gains in industrials and financials.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 10:14am EDT
Tesla stock falls to 52-week low
Tesla (TSLA) fell more than 3% in early trading Thursday as the EV giant's stock continued its downward trend. Tesla stock has fallen about 40% since the beginning of the year, to its lowest intraday level since January 2023.
The stock weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC), which struggled to stay in the green zone after falling more than 1% in the previous session.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 9:32am EDT
S&P 500 trying to end four-day losing streak
Stocks rose on Thursday morning, led by gains in the three major averages.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.3% and the S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose about 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC) rose 0.1% after tech stocks ended Wednesday down more than 1%.
In each session so far this week, the S&P 500 has started higher but has been unable to maintain its gains throughout the day. The past four sessions have ended lower for the broader benchmark.
All eyes will be on the world this afternoon as streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) releases its quarterly results after the closing bell.
Netflix stock has risen more than 25% since the beginning of the year.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:29 a.m. EDT
The debate over Tesla continues
Part of the fun in business newsrooms is the banter when battleground stocks are put through the wringer.
Today, that hotly contested stock is none other than Tesla (TSLA). Tesla had a terrible 2024 for various reasons. Despite the company's new cost cuts, the stock has fallen 11% over the past five trading sessions. The stock price has fallen nearly 40% since the beginning of the year.
The joke from today's Yahoo Finance newsroom premarket was how slow most people on the street are in changing direction in stocks. Some analysts have changed their ratings but maintain Hold.
Yahoo Finance Live director Valentina Caval and reporter Madison Mills crunched the numbers on this, and here's where it stands.
Last year alone, more than 60% of analysts gave Tesla a buy rating, but now only 32% of analysts have the same rating for Tesla stock. Approximately 44% have a Hold rating and 23% have a Sell rating.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 6:28 a.m. EDT
And the US debt warning continues – Bank of America's CEO also weighs in
The IMF caused a stir this week at its spring meeting in Washington, D.C., by warning about the high level of U.S. debt (more than $34 trillion).
Amid these warnings, we've seen interest rates on 2-year and 10-year U.S. Treasuries rise, giving momentum stocks such as Nvidia (NVDA) some air.
Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan is joining the conversation about U.S. debt with a new interview with Truly You.
“So we've got to keep debt at a reasonable level. And we're OK now, but that's something we have to worry about,” Moynihan told me on Yahoo Finance. “This isn't about ringing the alarm bells and saying we have to stop everything starting tomorrow. This is something we have to manage over the next 10 years. Doing a little bit every year will lead to big things at the end of the decade. Because it becomes something.”
Check out our chat about other issues, including the current state of U.S. consumers, below. And here's further analysis of the company's earnings this week.