US: Dow notches record high close after upbeat economic data

WALL Street stocks rose and the Dow scored a second consecutive all-time closing high on Friday (Aug 30), with Tesla and Amazon climbing after fresh US economic data raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates modestly in September.

US consumer spending increased solidly in July, suggesting the economy remained strong while prices rose moderately.

“Investors are seeing another sign of being in a soft landing,” said Cameron Dawson, chief investment officer at Newedge Wealth. 

“It’s another one of those Goldilocks kind of reports really threading a needle right down the centre. The market is really getting exactly what it wanted.”

A “just-right” Goldilocks economy has steady growth, but not too much that it fuels excessive inflation.

Amazon.com and Tesla each jumped over 3 per cent.

Broadcom rallied nearly 4 per cent, while Marvell Technology surged 9 per cent after the chipmaker forecast quarterly results above estimates.

The personal consumption expenditures report came on Friday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell last week expressed support for an imminent policy adjustment.

Economic data next week includes the Labor Department’s August jobs report, due on Friday.

Money markets suggest traders mostly expect the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points in September, with odds of a 50 basis point cut dimming further after Friday’s data, according to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.

Friday ended a tumultuous month on Wall Street after signs of a sudden moderation in the labour market in early August sparked fears of a US recession. The influence of the Japanese yen carry trade worsened the rout.

Shares have rebounded since then, with the S&P 500 trading near record highs.

Ahead of Monday’s US stock market holiday for Labor Day, volume on US exchanges was relatively light, with 11.2 billion shares traded, compared to an average of 11.4 billion shares over the previous 20 sessions.

The S&P 500 climbed 1 per cent to end at 5,648.40 points.

The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.1 per cent to 17,713.62 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6 per cent to 41,563.08 points.

All 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, led by consumer discretionary, up 1.9 per cent, followed by a 1.1 per cent gain in industrials.

For the month, the S&P 500 rose 2.3 per cent, the Dow added 1.8 per cent and the Nasdaq climbed 0.6 per cent.

Nvidia rose 1.5 per cent, rebounding from a 6.4 per cent drop on Thursday after the artificial intelligence (AI) chip bellwether failed to match sky-high investor expectations, despite upbeat results and a broadly in-line forecast.

Novavax surged 8.6 per cent after the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for an updated version of its Covid shot.

Ulta Beauty slid 4 per cent after it trimmed its annual results forecasts, citing slowing demand for higher-priced cosmetics and fragrances at its stores.

Intel jumped almost 10 per cent following a report it was exploring options that could include a merger.

Dell Technologies, another AI-related stock, advanced 4.3 per cent after lifting its annual revenue and profit forecasts.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, majority owned by former US President Donald Trump, dipped 1.7 per cent to a record low, leaving its stock market value at US$3.9 billion.

Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 by a 6.6-to-one ratio.

The S&P 500 posted 79 new highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 84 new highs and 77 new lows. REUTERS