The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed in negative territory on Wednesday as investors took profits after a months-long megacap stocks run and ahead of key economic and policy events next week.
The small-cap index Russell 2000 climbed 1.78% as investors kept moving away from megagap and growth stocks after their strong gains.
“Over the past week, we’ve seen a pretty dramatic outperformance of small caps relative to large caps,” said Paul Baiocchi, investment firm SS&C ALPS Advisors chief ETF strategist. “We’re seeing that persist here today.”
U.S. inflation data is expected to show consumer prices eased slightly in May from the previous month but with elevated core prices.
Weighing on stocks, the two-year U.S. Treasury yield and benchmark 10-year yield increased after the Bank of Canada raised interest rates, adding to investor jitters about the Federal Reserve’s next U.S. interest rate decision.
Money market participants now see a 69% chance that the U.S. central bank will skip raising interest rates in its June meeting but will hike in July, down from nearly 77% earlier, according to the CME’s Fedwatch tool.
Recently, U.S. shares have been boosted by a megacap stocks rally and a stronger-than-expected earnings season, with the S&P 500 up almost 20% from its October 2022 lows.
Some analysts expect profit-taking soon in big tech and other major growth stocks.
Meanwhile, CBOE Volatility Index hit the lowest close since Feb. 14, 2020.
Wells Fargo raised the price target on Netflix shares to $500 from $400, the highest on Wall Street, according to Refinitiv. The streaming company ticked 0.12% higher on the news.
Energy index rose 2.65% after oil prices edged higher, while the KBW Regional Banking Index closed at the highest level since March 29.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 91.74 points, or 0.27%, to 33,665.02, the S&P 500 lost 16.33 points, or 0.38%, to 4,267.52 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 171.52 points, or 1.29%, to 13,104.90.
Yext Inc soared 38.44% after the New York-based online marketing firm raised its annual earnings forecast.
Campbell Soup fell 8.91% after the packaged food maker posted a lower fiscal third-quarter gross margin, dented by high commodity and freight costs.
Coinbase shares advanced 3.20% the day after they hit a seven-month low, as the company’s CEO reassured customers that their funds were safe and blasted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its lawsuit. On Tuesday, the SEC sued the largest U.S. crypto exchange, accusing it of operating illegally, without having first registered with regulator.
Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest bought 419,324 shares of Coinbase on Tuesday.
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.58-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.27-to-1 ratio favored advancers.
The S&P 500 posted 22 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 122 new highs and 40 new lows.
Following their comment, fed funds futures have factored in a 70% chance the Fed will keep rates unchanged next month, up sharply from a 30% probability earlier in the wake of data showing an increase in U.S. job openings.
The Labor Department reported on Wednesday that U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in April and data for the prior month was revised higher, pointing to persistent strength in the labor market.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, also showed layoffs declined significantly last month. There were 1.8 job openings for every unemployed person in April, up from 1.7 in March, and well above the 1.0-1.2 range viewed as consistent with a jobs market that is not generating too much inflation.
After the JOLTS report, rate futures had priced in a nearly 70% chance of a rate increase next month.
“We have been suggesting that they (the Fed) stop,” said Ellis Phifer, managing director, fixed income capital markets at Raymond James in Memphis, Tennessee.
“But they are still so nervous of not signaling that they are done. Even though inflation is still high, it seems to be easing. Some things seem like a little bit loose and so if the Fed is going to be on pause, it’s time. They need to let some of this data work through.”
Leaning toward what some have called a “hawkish pause,” with rates held steady for now but the door left open for further increases, Jefferson said that “a decision to hold our policy rate constant at a coming meeting should not be interpreted to mean that we have reached the peak rate for this cycle.”
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