Wall Street slips from record after latest weak U.S. economic update
- U.S. stocks pulled back from record highs after a report showed retail sales fell last month, surprising economists who had expected another increase.
- The S&P 500 fell 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 107 points, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.3%.
- Investors weighed the possibility that weaker spending could help slow inflation and keep interest rates lower, while also raising concern about a slowing economy.
- Reddit rose 12.6% after it was announced the stock will join the S&P 500 on Tuesday, while Applied Materials fell 5.1% despite reporting stronger quarterly profit and revenue.
- Treasury yields moved higher and oil prices rose, and the article noted that mixed signals from the economy and markets left Wall Street cautious.
U.S. stocks edged lower on Friday after a new report showed retail sales declined last month, an outcome that came in weaker than economists expected. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite all finished slightly down after trading near record levels earlier in the session.
The report added to concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, especially after other recent data had also pointed to weakness. At the same time, softer consumer spending could ease inflation pressures and reduce the need for higher interest rates, which is supportive for stocks in the near term but negative if it signals broader economic slowdown.
The market reaction was mixed across individual stocks. Reddit rallied after news it will be added to the S&P 500, while Applied Materials fell despite a strong quarterly report, reflecting continued volatility in AI-related shares and high expectations in that part of the market.
Bond yields moved higher and oil prices rose, adding another layer of uncertainty. Overall, the immediate market tone was slightly negative for equities, with weaker economic data creating both support for rate-sensitive assets and concern about growth.
华尔街在最新疲弱的美国经济数据后从纪录高位回落
由于最新数据显示上月零售销售下降，且结果弱于经济学家预期，美国股市周五小幅回落。标普500、道琼斯工业平均指数和纳斯达克综合指数在盘中接近纪录高位后，收盘均略有下跌。
这份报告加剧了外界对美国经济状况的担忧，尤其是在近期其他数据也显示疲弱之后。与此同时，消费者支出放缓可能缓解通胀压力，并降低继续加息的必要性，这对股市短期是支撑，但若意味着整体经济放缓，则会带来压力。
个股表现则较为分化。Reddit因将被纳入标普500指数而上涨，而Applied Materials虽然公布了强劲的季度报告，股价仍下跌，反映出AI相关股票波动仍大、市场预期偏高。
债券收益率和油价同步走高，也增加了不确定性。总体来看，这一消息对股票市场的即时影响略偏利空，但疲弱经济数据同时也给利率敏感资产带来一定支撑。