Fundstrat Global Advisers managing partner Tom Lee discusses Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s advice to Congress to create policies to keep working families solvent.
U.S. equity markets rallied Wednesday as more states loosened coronavirus restrictions and investors focused on the potential for economic recovery amid a volatile week of trading.
Continue Reading Below
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 304 points, or 1.26 percent, in the opening minutes of trading while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.2 percent and 1.35 percent, respectively. The benchmark S&P 500 lost 1.05 percent on Tuesday after gaining 3.15 percent on Monday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I:DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGES | 24605.53 | +398.67 | +1.65% |
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 2975.39 | +52.45 | +1.79% |
| I:COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 9357.985158 | +172.88 | +1.88% |
Connecticut became the latest state to begin reopening from coronavirus lockdowns, allowing retail, offices, outdoor restaurants and outdoor recreation activities to resume. Delaware, Kentucky and New Jersey also eased limits imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at stocks, Lowe’s comparable sales spiked 12.3 percent from a year ago as customers loaded up on essential items during the early days of the outbreak. A share price of $126.57 at the close would be the highest on record.
Big-box retailer Target, meanwhile, reported a 64 percent drop in first-quarter profit as higher operating costs offset a surge in sales.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | LOWE’S COMPANIES INC. | 117.58 | +0.71 | +0.61% |
| TGT | TARGET CORP. | 121.28 | -1.89 | -1.53% |
Elsewhere, Johnson & Johnson says it will stop selling its talc-based baby powder once supplies run out due to declining demand for the product. The baby powder makes up about 0.5 percent of the company’s U.S. consumer health business.
Harley-Davidson is reopening factories this week and slimming down its product line in an effort to revive sales, according to The Wall Street Journal.
CVS Health will return $43 million received through the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund. The money was given to CVS through an automatic distribution by Health and Human Services.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JNJ | JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 149.89 | +0.87 | +0.58% |
| HOG | HARLEY DAVIDSON | 23.39 | +1.55 | +7.10% |
| CVS | CVS HEALTH CORPORATION | 64.23 | +0.62 | +0.98% |
Shares of Chinese beverage chain Luckin Coffee, which have been halted since April 7, resumed trading on Wednesday. The company announced on April 2 that its chief operating officer fabricated sales, and the Nasdaq exchange issued a delisting notice on Tuesday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LK | LUCKIN COFFEE | 2.79 | -1.60 | -36.45% |
TRUMP GETS TOUGH ON CHINESE STOCKS IN CORONAVIRUS STANDOFF WITH BEIJING
Commodities rallied, with West Texas Intermediate crude oil up 4.97 percent at $33.55 a barrel and gold climbing 0.37 percent to $1,752.
U.S. Treasurys were little changed with the yield on the 10-year note holding at 0.711 percent.
In Europe, Britain’s FTSE and Germany’s DAX climbed 0.42 percent and 0.57 percent, respectively, while France’s CAC was unchanged.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Asian markets were mixed, with Japan’s Nikkei gaining 0.79 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edging up 0.05 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite sliding 0.51 percent.
