December 12, 2024 19:55 GMT
US STOCKS: Late Equities Roundup Extending Late Session Lows
US STOCKS
- Major stock averages looked to extend lows late Thursday, no particular headline driver at play trading desks said, but more attributed to position squaring as Treasuries dipped at the same time on headlines forward ECB rate cuts may not be as aggressive as hoped. Currently, the DJIA trades down 226.99 points (-0.51%) at 43922.65, S&P E-Minis down 25.75 points (-0.42%) at 6067.25, Nasdaq down 82.8 points (-0.4%) at 19952.64.
- Individual laggers included Adobe Inc -14.35% on weak outlook tied to AI disruption concerns, industrial products maker Nordson -9.55% on weaker than expected guidance for 2025, while steel maker Nucor declined 4.98% on downgrades the day after raising quarterly dividends slightly ($0.54 to 0.55).
- On sector performance, Consumer Discretionary and Health Care lead laggers: apparel and travel relate stocks weighing on the Discretionary sector: Norwegian Cruise Lines -2.36%, Lululemon -2.29% while Expedia traded 1.98% lower. The health care sector weighed by CVS -3.12%, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals -2.98% and Cign -2.92%.
- On the positive side, Warner Brothers surged +13.86% after announcing a new corporate structure implementation in the near term, CH Robinson Worldwide +4.78% while West Pharmaceuticals gained 4.29%.
- Real Estate and Consumer Staples sectors outperformed in the second half, residential and retail investment trusts supporting the former: Essex Property +1.97%, Equity Residential +1.81%, CBRE Group +1.71%. Meanwhile, food & beverage stocks supported Staples: Hershey +2.87%, Conagra Brands +1.44% while Coca-Cola gained 1.29%.
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