S&P 500 ends higher as markets weigh rising yields

NEW YORK: Benchmark S&P 500 closed higher in choppy trading on Wednesday, as investors weighed an uptick in Treasury yields amid positive corporate results particularly from technology giants.

An auction of a record $70 billion worth of five-year US Treasury notes on Wednesday helped to push bond yields higher and had weighed on equities. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose five basis points to 4.6459%.

The Dow finished lower while the Nasdaq ended higher. Seven out of 11 S&P 500 sectors made gains led by stocks in consumer staples, utilities, consumer discretionary and real estate.

Investors were also focused on quarterly earnings from companies, especially from megacap growth stocks. Shares of Meta Platforms fell 11% in extended hours trading after the tech giant reported that its capital expenditure could reach up to $40 billion in 2024, even as its first quarter revenue beat estimates.

Microsoft and Alphabet are scheduled to report their results later this week.

Tesla jumped 12% after the electric vehicle maker’s plans to boost production and roll out more affordable models overshadowed its weak quarterly results.

“My biggest concern is the bond market, particularly the long end of the US yield curve,” said Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist at Bell Curve Trading in Boston.

The S&P 500 gained 1.08 points, or 0.02%, to 5,071.63 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 16.11 points, or 0.10%, to 15,712.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 42.77 points, or 0.11%, to 38,460.92.

Markets are eyeing first quarter gross domestic product data on Thursday and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) for March on Friday. Hotter-than-expected consumer price inflation report for March had pushed back expectations of when the Fed will begin cutting interest rates.

Shares of Boeing fell 2.8% after the planemaker reported its first quarterly revenue drop in seven quarters, even though the result beat analyst expectations.

Solar inverter maker Enphase Energy dropped 5.5% after projecting second-quarter revenue below analysts’ estimates.

Texas Instruments climbed 5.6% after the chipmaker forecast second-quarter revenue above analysts’ estimates. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index closed higher as most chip stocks rallied.

Drugmaker Biogen gained 4.5% after it beat first-quarter profit expectations, while Boston Scientific rose 5.7% after the medical device maker raised its annual profit forecast.

Hasbro climbed nearly 12% after the toymaker reported a smaller-than-expected drop in first-quarter sales and handily beat profit estimates.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.33-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 80 new highs and 50 new lows on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, 1,903 stocks rose and 2,316 fell as declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.22-to-1 ratio.

The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 55 new highs and 120 new lows.

Volume on US exchanges was 10.2 billion shares, compared with the 11.07 billion average for the last 20 days. — Reuters