Stock Market Midday, Oct. 13: Bank Earnings and Chip Pressure Drive Mixed Trading

As of 11:318 AM ET, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) is down 0.25% to 7,788, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) has fallen 0.37% to 27,139, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) is trading 0.18% lower at 51,758 as falling semiconductor stocks weighed on major indexes.

Gold is down 0.15% to $4,165.28, and the 10-Year Treasury yield fell 2 basis points to 5.22%. Communication stocks led sector performance, as industrials and tech stocks faced selling pressure.

Today’s biggest moves

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup kicked off earnings season today. It’s a mixed picture: Goldman Sachs shares gained after beating analyst estimates, and Wells Fargo stock fell after it missed revenue expectations.

UnitedHealth Group initially climbed after raising its profit forecast, but is now trading slightly down. Johnson & Johnson fell around 6% following an adjusted earnings miss. Micron Technology slid more than 5% as a global semiconductor sell-off intensified.

What this means for investors

One takeaway from today’s financial institutions’ results is that consumers and businesses remain relatively resilient, but rising profits only tell part of the picture. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned that any interest rate hikes could hurt borrowers and spoke of multiple risks beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, the sell-off in semiconductors continues, as investors weigh Chinese memory chip innovations and intensifying competition. The PHLX Semiconductor Index (^SOX) is down 1.50% this morning as the pressure on chip stocks mounts. However, for context, the index has gained 68.20% so far this year, and this headline-driven volatility is not unusual in the sector.

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