NEW YORK: Wall Street’s main indexes dropped on Thursday as megacap stocks remained under pressure, while investors assessed the ongoing quarterly earnings season and a mixed bag of data.
Meta Platforms fell about 4%, even after its third-quarter results beat expectations, as the Facebook parent forecast 2024 spending above estimates and suggested the Middle East conflict could dampen fourth-quarter sales.
The 10-year Treasury yield still hovered near the 5% mark despite easing after inflation and disposable income data, dragging megacaps Tesla and Microsoft down 1.7% and 3.1%, respectively.
Amazon.com fell 1.2% ahead of its results due after the closing bell, while Google-parent Alphabet lost 1.8%, adding to its 9.5% tumble on Wednesday.
On the data front, third-quarter core personal consumption expenditure cooled to 2.4%, while weekly jobless claims climbed to 210,000 versus the expected 208,000.
Traders added to bets the Federal Reserve will keep policy on hold through this year and will begin interest rate cuts in mid-2024, despite the US economy growing at its fastest pace in nearly two years in the third quarter.
“The Fed is not going to take the liquidity tourniquet off the economy until they see the final embers of inflation burnout,” said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.
Focus on Friday will be on the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index for September.
United Parcel Service dipped 4.0% on Thursday after lowering its full-year revenue forecast, while Comcast shed 6.4% after the media giant reported a surprise loss in customers in its broadband business.
“Transformers” action figures maker Hasbro slid 10.4% after cutting its annual revenue forecast. Mattel tumbled 7.4% after the Barbie doll maker warned of slowing demand for the industry heading into the crucial holiday season.
Mastercard lost 5.3% after forecasting weaker-than-expected growth in net revenue for the fourth quarter.
Western Digital slumped 11.2% on a report the US-based company and Japan’s Kioxia Holdings have broken off talks to create one of the world’s biggest chipmakers.
At 11:25 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 133.72 points, or 0.40%, at 32,902.21, the S&P 500 was down 31.34 points, or 0.75%, at 4,155.43, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 166.85 points, or 1.30%, at 12,654.37.
Communication services was the worst hit S&P 500 sector, while real estate was the top gainer.