Markets News, August 22, 2024: Stocks End Lower Ahead of Fed Chair Powell's Eagerly Awaited Speech on Friday

Illustrated collage of financial symbols, including gold, barrels of oil, a bear and a bull.

Julie Bang / Investopedia

Major stock indexes ended lower Thursday as large-cap tech stocks fell and investors prepare for an eagerly anticipated speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday that could shed light on the timetable 𓂃for interest rate cuts. 

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite shed 0.9% and 1.7%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4%. The indexes had gained in early trading, putting the S&P 500 and Dow near fresh record highs, after minutes from the Fed's July policy meeting on Wednesda💟y showed increasing support for a rate cut at the policy committee's next meeting in September.

Attention now is focused on the Fed's annual 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, where Powell will speak at 10:00 a.m. ET Friday. Market participants will watch closely as they seek 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:further confirmation that policymakers are poised to start cutting the influential fed funds next month, though the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:central bank chief is unlikely to provide det༒ails on the pace or depth of policy easinꦅg.

The economic data calendar has been light this week, though indicators released on Thursday reinforced the idea that the economy remains resilient, after fears about a possible recession sent markets reeling earlier this month. Weekly 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:jobless claims numbers released early Thursday came in as expected, while 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:monthly housing sales figures topped expectations.

Large-cap tech stocks led the decline on Thursday, with AI investor darling Nvidia (NVDA) falling 3.7% and Tesla (TSLA) sliding 5.7%, while Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Meta Platforms (META) all lost ground as well. The iShares Semiconductor Index dropped 3.4% as Intel (INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Micron (MU) and other chipmakers fell sharply.

Among other stocks on the move Thursday, data-warehouse software company Snowflake (SNOW) plunged 15% after a disappointing earnings report. Shares of BJ's Wholesale (BJ), Urban Outfitters (URBN) and Advance Auto Parts (AAP) also plunged after earnings reports. Peleton (PTON) shares raced 35% higher after the company pos💖ted year-over-year quarterly revenue growth for the first time in more than two years

The yield on 10-year Treasurys, w♈hich is sensitive to expectations around where interest rates are headed, rose to 3.85% after falling below 3.80% Wednesday to its lowest level in more thﷺan two weeks.

Gold 🦹futures were down 1% to around $2,520 an ounce, after hitting record highs in recent days. Bitcoin was down slightly to around $60,500.

Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Thursday

August 22, 2024 06:03 PM EDT

Decliners

  • Shares of Moderna (MRNA) lost 6.5%, marking Thursday's weakest performance in the S&P 500. The share price drop coincided with the approval of Moderna's vaccine to protect against new strains of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends an updated shot for all people over the age of 6 months, and Moderna expects the new version to be available within a few days. However, at the beginning of August, the company 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:lowered its full-year sales forꦗecast, citing soft vaccine demand in Europe.
  • Intel (INTC) shares sank 6.1% following reports questioning the semiconductor giant's progress on the construction of two new chip fabrication plants in Germany. The company received a government subsidy of around $11 billion for the construction of the facilities, with the objective of having them online and producing chips by 2027. However, that schedule now appears uncertain. Some investors have expressed concerns that, as Intel targets significant cost reductions, the company may choose not to move forward with the plans in Germany.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger walking to a meeting at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin on June 19, 2023.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger (right) ahe🍬ad of a meeting with German government officials, in Berlin, on June 19, 2023.
  • Tesla (TSLA) Vice President Sreela Venkataratnam announced that she would be the latest in a string of executives to step down from the company, and shares of the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer declined 5.7%. In an 11-year stint at Tesla, Venkataratnam was involved in constructing factories, accelerating vehicle production, and expanding the energy business.

Advancers

  • Shares of investment manager Franklin Resources (BEN) added 4.6%, the best performance of any stock in the S&P 500. Thursday's gains reversed a portion of the heavy losses posted in the previous session after the firm said the co-chief investment officer (CIO) of its Western Asset Management unit was taking a leave of absence. The executive's exit came amid internal and regulatory investigations into certain p🔜ast trade allocations at the division.
  • Nordson (NDSN), which provides coating and adhesive systems to various industries, reported better-than-expected sales and profits for its fiscal third quarter, and its shares advanced 3.3%. Momentum in the company's Industrial Precision Solutions segment, as well as sales growth in Asia-Pacific and Europe, helped drive the strong performance.
  • Shares of State Street (STT) ticked 2.2% higher as the financial services firm announced a partnership with the Swiss digital asset platform Taurus. The deal will help State Street provide reliable digital asset capabilities to its clients by leveraging Taurus' custody, tokenization, and node-management solutions.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Michael Bromberg

What to Expect from Powell on Friday

August 22, 2024 05:44 PM EDT

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give a speech Friday morni❀ng that investors are eagerly anticipating for clues on the timeಞtable for interest rate cuts.

While Powell a💮nd other Fed officials have said that a rate cut at the next Fed policy meeting in September is possible, the central bank chief is unlikely to provide detailꦯs on the timing or depth of policy easing.

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), from left, Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, walk the grounds at the Jackson Hole economic symposium in Moran, Wyoming, US, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell (right), with European Central Bank ♛President Christine Lagarde and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in 2023.

🍬 Powell will likely reiterate that the Fed will be watching data up until the September meeting, with a particular emphasis on labor data as inflation continues to moderate.

Read the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:full preview here.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Colin Laidley

Advance Auto Parts Plunges to 2024 Low

August 22, 2024 03:18 PM EDT

Advance Auto Parts (AAP) shares plunged after the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:company announced quarterly earnings that💫 came in well short of expectations and cut its outlook for the full year. The earnings news upstaged the sale of its wholesale distribution business.

The retailer reported diluted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) of 75 cents, down from $1.32 aไ year earlier and missing analysts’ expectations of 92 cents. Net sales were roughly flat at $2.68 billion, slightly above expectations. 𓂃

Advance Auto Parts cut its full year revenue guidance to between $11.15 billion and $11.25 billion, while its diluted EPS is projected at between $2 and $2.50. The company cited a "challenging demand environment" and noted that the current quarter was off to a weak start.

Shares in the company were down 16% in recent trading. The stock fell as much as 22% in early trading and was trading at its lowest level since last October.

Advance Auto Parts stock price chart past 12 months

TradingView

Advance Auto also announced the sale of Worldpac, its wholesale distribution unit, for $1.5 billion. The unit was bought by funds managed by The Carlyle Group (CG), the company said Wednesday. 

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Andrew Kessel

BJ's Wholesale Tumbles on Weak Outlook

August 22, 2024 01:14 PM EDT

BJ’s Wholesale Club (BJ) shares sank after the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:retailer gave soft guidance as it looks to invest more money into the business. The outlook overshadowed better-tha🦋n-expected quarterly results.

BJ’s CFO Laura Felice said full-year adjusted earnings per share coul🥃d be at the🌱 low end of its forecast of $3.75 to $4 because of long-term investments. Analysts were looking for $3.88, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.

BJ’s posted second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.09, with revenue increasing 4.5% from a year ago to $5.21 billion. Net sales were up 4.4% to $5.09 billion, and membership fees jumped 8.9% to $113.1 million. All were above analysts' estimates.

BJ's Wholesale shares were down 6% at a three-month low in recent trading.

BJ's Wholesale stock price chart YTD

TradingView

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

Urban Outfitters Stock Slides as Retailer Cites Slowing Sales

August 22, 2024 11:53 AM EDT

Shares of Urban Outfitters (URBN) tumbled to a multi-month low Thursday as investors focused on 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:the retailer's sales outlook more than its second-quarter results that surꦛpassed estimates.

The company behind retail brands including Anthropologie and Free People along with its namesake stores reported $1.35 billion in total revenue and net income of $117.5 million, both above analysts' expectations.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Comparable store sales rose 6.7% year-over-year at Anthropologie and 7.1% at Free People. However, those at Urban Ouꦰtfitters stores fell 9.3% year-over-year, larger than expected.

In Wednesday's earnings call, Chief Operating Officer Frank Conforti said the retailer saw a "slight deceleration" in sales to end July and in the opening weeks of August.

JPMorgan analysts said that could suggest a slower third quarter. The analysts kept a neutral rating on the stock, and lowered their price target to $42 from $43 in response to the indication of we♏aker sales trends.

Urban Outfitters sh𝔍ares were down 9% in recent ๊trading.

Urban Outfitters stock price chart YTD

TradingView

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Aaron McDade

Snowflake Shares Plunge Following Earnings Report

August 22, 2024 09:16 AM EDT

Shares in cloud data-warehouse software company Snowflake (SNOW) dropped more than 10% in premarket trading after a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:widening net loss and rising costs overshadowed quarterly res๊ults that came in ahead of expect🧸ations. Moreover, despite the firm raising its annual revenue outlook, it left its gross margin forecast unchanged.

The share price broke out from a falling wedge pattern earlier this month, but that move looks to be tested following the stock's projected post-earnings fall.

Source: TradingView.com.

Snowf🔯lake𒆙 shares may find buying interest on the chart at key price levels including $123, $108, and $95.

Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:technical analysis piece here.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Timothy Smith

Futures Point to Higher Open for Major Indexes

August 22, 2024 08:25 AM EDT

Futures tied to the Do🦋w Jones Industrial Average we𓆉re up 0.1%.

DJIA futures - August 22, 2024

TradingView

S&P 500 futures were up 0.2%.

S&P 500 futures - August 22, 2024

TradingView

Nasdaq 100 futures were up were up 0.4%.

Nasdaq 100 futures - August 22, 2024

TradingView

Compare Accounts
The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.

Related Articles