Stock futures are little changed following S&P 500's best week since November: Live updates
S&P 500 futures climbed on Monday morning as the broad index came off its best week in several months. Traders are looking ahead to a week with more corporate earnings, key labor data and a Federal Reserve meeting.
Futures tied to the index added 0.27%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 109 points, or 0.28%. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.38%.
Those moves follow a positive — albeit rocky — week on Wall Street. The S&P 500 jumped 2.7%, notching its best week since November and breaking a three-week negative streak. With a rally of 4.2%, the Nasdaq Composite also saw its best weekly performance going back to November and its first winning week in the last five. The Dow finished the week 0.7% higher.
“The YTD upgrade in the market’s pricing of economic growth largely explains the resilience in equities this year alongside the climb higher in interest rates,” David Kostin, Goldman Sachs’ chief U.S. equity strategist, wrote to clients. “However, during the past few weeks, the driver of rates has shifted from better growth to
hawkish monetary policy concerns, which has been more difficult for stocks to digest.”
Earnings season continues this week, with releases from major names including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple and Amazon. It’s shaping up to be a strong quarter: Of the more than 45% S&P 500-listed firms that have posted results so far, about four out of every five have surpassed expectations, according to FactSet.
Monetary policy will take center stage later in the week, with the Fed set to release its latest interest rate announcement on Wednesday. While the central bank is widely anticipated to keep the borrowing cost unchanged, investors will still closely monitor the post-announcement press conference with Chair Jerome Powell.
That announcement comes ahead of April’s nonfarm payrolls report expected Friday. Traders analyze the data for insights into the strength of the labor market given its role in the monetary policy decision making process and the country’s broader economic health.
Europe stocks open higher
European stocks were cautiously higher Monday morning, with the benchmark Stoxx 600 index opening in the green and trading 0.32% higher at 9:07 a.m. in London.
The U.K.’s FTSE 100 was up 0.46%, while Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 were higher by 0.24% and 0.34%, respectively.
— Jenni Reid
Yen strengthens sharply after crossing 160 against the dollar
The Japanese yen strengthened sharply in afternoon trading, hours after the currency slid past the 160 mark against the U.S. dollar, hitting its weakest point in 34 years.
Since hitting that record, the yen strengthened against the greenback, trading at 155.43 at 2:12 p.m. local time. Japan’s markets are currently closed for a public holiday.
There was no official indication of an intervention by Japanese authorities. But traders and analysts have been on intervention watch for the yen in recent weeks.
— Lim Hui Jie
China’s industrial profits post slower gains in first quarter
Industrial profits in China fell in March, slowing growth in the first quarter compared with the same period a year ago.
Industrial profits climbed 4.3% year-on-year in the January to March period, compared to a 10.2% year-on-year gain seen in the January and February period.
China reports its industrial profits data on a rolling year-to-date basis, and usually combines January and February economic data into a single reading.
A Goldman Sachs report calculated that China’s industrial profits and revenue fell by 4% and 1.3%, respectively, year on year in March alone, compared to the 10.2% gain in profit and 4.5% rise in revenue in the combined January-February period.
— Lim Hui Jie
Stocks come off winning week
Stocks have momentum after the three major indexes all gained last week.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each saw their best weeks since November. The S&P 500 climbed 2.7%, ending a three-week down streak. The Nasdaq popped 4.2%, marking its first positive week of the last five.
Meanwhile, the Dow rose 0.7%.
— Alex Harring
Stock futures are near flat
Stock futures posted marginal moves shortly after 6 p.m. ET. Sunday night.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.2%, while Dow and Nasdaq 100 futures each advanced around 0.1%.
— Alex Harring