New York, NY – Technology stocks led a downturn on Wall Street Wednesday, resulting in the market experiencing its first decline in over a week. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, marking the end of a seven-day winning streak for the index. In a similar fashion, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3% after enjoying five consecutive days of gains. Despite this setback, both the Dow and S&P 500 are still trading near the record highs they achieved just the day before.
The Nasdaq composite, known for its heavy concentration of technology stocks, experienced a more significant decline of 0.6%. Companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Broadcom reported losses, contributing to this downward trend in the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia fell by 1.2%, while Microsoft and Broadcom dropped by the same percentage and 3.1%, respectively. Several personal computer manufacturers also saw their stock values fall following underwhelming earnings reports.
On the other hand, financial and healthcare companies managed to offset some of the market’s losses with gains. Berkshire Hathaway saw a 0.9% increase, while Merck & Co. added 1.5%. Overall, the S&P 500 ended the day down by 22.89 points at 5,998.74, the Dow lost 138.25 points to 44,722.06, and the Nasdaq fell by 115.10 points to 19,060.48.
Investors were also closely monitoring new economic and inflation reports released on Wednesday. The U.S. economy continued to show growth, with a 2.8% annual increase from July to September driven by strong consumer spending and export activities, as per the Commerce Department’s updated data. Consumer confidence in the U.S. also saw improvement in November, although not as much as economists had projected, according to the Conference Board.
While consumers have been the driving force behind economic growth, retailers presented a mixed outlook due to ongoing inflationary pressures. Department store Nordstrom observed an 8.1% decline in its stock value after signaling weakening sales trends since late October. In contrast, clothing retailer Urban Outfitters surged by 18.3% after exceeding third-quarter financial forecasts. Notably, retail giant Target provided a discouraging holiday season forecast, while Walmart remained cautiously optimistic.
The latest inflation data reveals a slight deceleration as figures fall closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The central bank had been increasing interest rates throughout 2022 to control inflation, which now appears to be stabilizing. The Fed recently made cuts to its benchmark interest rates, indicating a willingness to adapt monetary policy in response to economic trends and potential tariff impacts under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
As trading paused for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Treasury yields in the bond market saw a slight decrease. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped to 4.25% from 4.30%, while the two-year Treasury yield, more reflective of Fed actions, fell to 4.22% from 4.25%. Markets will be closed on Thursday and will resume for a half-day on Friday, allowing investors to reflect on the latest economic data and market developments.