Markets News, Oct. 4, 2024: Stocks Surge After Strong Jobs Report; Dow Closes at Record High

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 14, 2024 in New York City

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Stꦦocks surged Friday after highly anticipated labor data for September blew past expectations and reassured investors about the health of the economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8% to an all-time closing high, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gained 0.9% and 1.2%, respectively. The major indexes, which had endured a bumpy few days of trading, inched ♏into positive terriꦫtory for the week as they rallied in the final hour of Friday's session.

The jobs report, releasedꦯ early Friday by the Labor Department, said that 254,000 jobs were added last month, about 100,000 more than economists had expected. The unemployment rate was 4.1% in September, slightly lower than forecast. The 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:data underscored the resilience of the labor market, which has shown signs of 🐭weakness in recent months.

Federal Reserve officials have said they are increasingly focused on the labor market now that inflation has moderated. The Fed cut its benchmark interest rate last month for the first time in four years and has indicated that mor🍌e easing is likely, though economic data will drive decisions on how fast and deep subsequent cuts will be.

Friday's employment data could relieve pressure on the Fed to make big rate cuts in the coming months. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Trading activity ไreflected that possibility, as market expectations for aggressive Fed moves plummeted while Treasury yields soared to their highest levels since early Aug𓆏ust.

Traders are now pricing zero chance that the Fed will cut its benchmark rate by half a percentage point, as opposed to a more-standard quarter-point cut, at the central bank's next policy meeting in mid-November, according to fed fund futures trading data calculated by the CME's FedWatch Tool. A week ago, the market was pricing in more than a 50% chance of a half-percentage-point cut. Meanwhile, the yield on 10-year Treasurys jumped to 3.98%, up from 3.85% Thursday.

Mega-cap technology stocks were mostly higher on Friday. Meta Platforms (META) rose 2.3% to another record high, while Nvidia (NVDA) gained 1.7% amid ongoing optimism about 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:demand for its AI chips. Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOGL) also rose, while shares of Microsoft (MSFT) were down slightly.

U.S.-traded shares of Chinese stocks also rose, extending big gains that were spurred last week by the announcement of wide-ranging stimulus measures by Chinese authorities. The iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI) rose 3.7% and is up about 30% since the first batch of measures was a🌱nnounced ear🐽ly last week.

Crude oil futures were up about 1% after jumping more than 5% yesterday amid concerns that a growing conflict in the Middle East could cut into supply. Shares of several oil companies also gained ground, including ExxonMobil (XOM), which hit a record high, ConocoPhillips (COP), Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and Diamondback Energy (FANG).

Gold futures were꧑ down slightly at around $2,670 per ounce, while bitcoin rose 2.5% to around $62,300.

Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Friday

October 04, 2024 05:34 PM EDT

Advancers

  • Shares of lithium producers moved higher following reports that British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO) might be 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:considering an acquisition in the lithium industry. Rio Tinto is reportedly looking to expand its lithium operations, even as prices for the metal have been pressured by soft electric vehicle (EV) demand. Shares of Albemarle (ALB), the world's largest lithium producer, surged 8.2% on Friday, marking the top performance in the S&P 500.
  • United Airlines (UAL) shares gained 6.5% following reports that low-cost rival Spirit Airlines (SAVE) is 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:considering a bankruptcy filing in the wake of its failed merger with JetBlue Airways (JBLU). Spirit is also said to be exploring options to restructure its balance sheet as it faces billions of dollars in debt. Spirit shares plummeted 24.6% on Friday, while JetBlue shares soared 14.2%.
  • Deckers Outdoor (DECK) shares added 6.4% on the day. The parent company of the Ugg, Hoka, and Teva footwear brands is a relatively fresh addition to the S&P 500, having joined the benchmark index in March. More recently, Deckers Outdoor completed a six-for-one stock split in September. Following the split, Baird analysts highlighted Deckers stock for its "best-in-class growth."
A shopper carries an UGG bag.

Shelby Knowles / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Decliners

  • Extra Space Storage (EXR) shares dropped 3.9%, the biggest loss of any S&P 500 stock on Friday. The downtick for the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:self-stora♑ge real estate investment trust (REIT) came after regulatory filings revealed CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold around $1.34 million worth of shares in the company. Investors often consider significant sales by company insiders as a potential warning signal.
  • Shares of credit reporting agency Equifax (EFX) sank 3.4%. Earlier this week, UBS initiated coverage on Equifax stock with a "buy" rating, asserting that the company could be positioned to benefit from an expected normalization in the mortgage market. However, there could be less certainty around a mortgage recovery after today's jobs report, which raised questions about the likely pace of interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
  • Concerns about Fed rate cuts and the trajectory of mortgage rates weighed on companies in the homebuilding industry. Shares of homebuilder D.R. Horton (DHI) fell 2.9%, while shares of peers Lennar (LEN) and PulteGroup (PHM) were down 2.5%.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Michael Bromberg

Major Indexes Inch Into Positive Territory for the Week

October 04, 2024 04:32 PM EDT

After a rocky we🍷ek, a late-session surge pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite into positive terr💜itory for the week, but just barely.

DJIA, S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite week chart

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ExxonMobil Hits Record High Despite Q3 Profit Warning

October 04, 2024 03:17 PM EDT

Shares of ExxonMobil (XOM)&nb✅spꦛ;hit a record high Friday, riding the coattails of the surge in crude oil prices amid concerns about tensions in the Middle East.

The latest gains came even as the oil major warned that lower oil prices and refining margins in the third quarter would have have a negative impact on results for 𓄧the period compared to the previous quarter.

The energy giant wrote in a regulatory filing that a change in crude prices would cause a $600 million to $1 billion reduction in upstream profit for the third quarter. It expects a similar financial effect by a ch⛦ange in industry margins for energy products.

ExxonMobil made a profit of $9.💯2 billion in the se💃cond quarter. It posted $9.1 billion in earnings in the third quarter of 2023.

XOM stock price chart since 2022

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ExxonMobil shares were up 1.6% at $124.58 i𓆏n recent trading, after hitting an all-time high of $125.19 earlier in the session.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

S&P Back to Near Unchanged for the Week

October 04, 2024 01:47 PM EDT

The S&ဣP 500 is just a few points away from where it started the week, after a bumpy few daﷺys to start trading this month.

The index was up 0.5% at 5,729 recently, about 10 points away from beiꦍng in positive territory ꦆfor the week and not far from its all-time intraday high of 5,767.

S&P 500 YTD

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Meta Price Levels to Watch as Stock Hits Record High

October 04, 2024 12:37 PM EDT

Meta Platforms (META) shares hit a new record high Friday as investor o♈ptimism about the tech𒉰 giant’s AI opportunities runs high.

Meta shares were up 0.4% at around $585 in midday trading Friday. The stock has gained 65% so far in 2024, handily outpacin🌄g the S&P 500’s return of around 20% over the same period.

Source: TradingView.com.

The relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum in the stock, but also warns of overbought conditions, opening the door t♑o short-term profit taking.

Investors should monitor key retracement levels around $535 and $480, while also monitoring chart-based bullish ﷽price targets at $700 and $790.

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

Rivian Tumbles as EV Maker Slashes Production Outlook

October 04, 2024 11:35 AM EDT

Rivian Automotive (RIVN) shares sank Friday as the electric vehicle maker missed third-quarter delivery estimates and slashed its full-year production out💟look because of difficulties in getting a part.

Rivian said it built 13,157 EVs in the quarter, and delivered 10,018. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for 12,08O deliveries. The company's latest news extended a recent slide in a stock that has fallen from levels seen this summer following an 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:investment from Volkswagen.

The company cut its 2024 production estimate because of a ﷺsupply shortage of a component used to build its R1S SUV and RCV commercial van. It a🧸dded that the issue began in the third quarter, and “has become more acute in recent weeks and continues.”

Rivian now anticipates it will ma🏅nufacture 47,000 to 49,000 EVs this year, down from its previous forecast of 57,000.

Rivian stock price chart year to date

Rivian shares were down 7% in recent trading and have lost more th♑an half their value since the start of the year.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

Frontier, JetBlue Soar on Report of Spirit Bankruptcy Talks

October 04, 2024 11:03 AM EDT

Shares of Frontier Group Holdings (ULCC) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) took off Friday on a report that discount airline rival Spirit Airlines (SAVE) is considering a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:bankruptcy filing. Spirit shares plunged 25% soon after markets opened.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Spirit is in discussions with bondholders and other creditors about possible terms for a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Chapter 11 filing, although it noted such a filing would not be imminent. The paper said that Spirit is also looking at restructuring its 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:balance sheet through an out-of-court🅠 deal, although the focus was on the bankruptcy nego🔯tiations.

Spirit Airlines plane arrives in San Diego

Kevin Carter / Getty Images

Spirit has faced losses and falling revenue on tougher competition from both low-cost rivals and bigger airlines. It failed in its $6.6 billion plan to merge with Frontier in 2022. Following that, Spirit agreed to a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:takeover by JetBlue, only to see that fall through this year as regu♉lators challenged it over antitrust concerns.

Frontier shares were up 21% in recent𓃲 trading, ❀while JetBlue gained 17%.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

Treasury Yields Rise, Rate Cut Expectations Fall

October 04, 2024 09:50 AM EDT

Treasury yields jumped and the market’s expectations for interest rate cuts plummeted on Friday morning after the surprisingly strong jobs report dispelled some fears that the Feder𝐆al Reserve needs to come to the rescue of a weakening labor market.

Market participants slashed their rate cut forecasts in the wake of the report. The odds of the Fed cutting rates by 50 basis points, or half a percentage point, at its next meeting in November slumped from 30% to about 5%, according to federal funds futures trading data. Market participants are now pricing in less than a 30% chance that the Fed will cut its benchmark rate by a total of 75 basis points by year's end, which compares with the 56% odds that were priced in yesterday.

The readjusted expectations aligned Wall Street’s view with that of Fed officials, who in their quarterly economic projections 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:forecast making modest rate cuts at e♌ach of its two remaining meetings this year.

Treasury yields 🃏soared in the wake of th꧒e report, with the 10-year yield jumping about 10 basis points to 3.95%, its highest level since mid-August. The yield on the 2-year Treasury, which is heavily influenced by the market’s expectations for the Fed’s benchmark interest rate, leapt 15 basis points to 3.87%, a one month high.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Colin Laidley

Major Index Stock Futures Higher Ahead of Jobs Data

October 04, 2024 07:57 AM EDT

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industr🎃ial Average were up 0.1%.

DJIA futures - Oct. 4, 2024

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S&P 500 futures were up 0.3%.

S&P 500 futures - Oct. 4, 2024

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Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.4%.

Nasdaq 100 futures - Oct. 4, 2024

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