Former Reagan Chief Economist Art Laffer provides insight into Morgan Stanley’s prediction of a ‘V-shaped’ economic recovery following coronavirus.
U.S. equity markets soared Monday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will continue to support the U.S. economy for as long as necessary and drugmaker Moderna announced progress toward a COVID-19 vaccine.
Continue Reading Below
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained as many as 800 points, or 3.388 percent, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were higher by 2.79 percent and 2.16 percent, respectively.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I:DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGES | 24362.49 | +677.07 | +2.86% |
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 2934.51 | +70.81 | +2.47% |
| I:COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 9175.455938 | +160.90 | +1.78% |
Powell warned that while the U.S. economy will return to growth in 2020, it may not reach pre-crisis levels until late next year and that a full recovery may hinge on the discovery of a COVID-19 vaccine.
TEXAS FEARS LOSING OIL-RICH LANDS IN CHINESE TAKEOVER OF WEAKENED ENERGY COMPANIES
“For the economy to fully recover, people will have to be fully confident. And that may have to await the arrival of a vaccine,” Powell said on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
He added the central bank is “not out of ammunition by a long shot” and that “there’s a lot more” that can be done to support the economy.
At least 14 U.S. states are easing lockdown restrictions on Monday, including Florida, which will allow gyms and fitness centers to reopen at 50 percent capacity and restaurants and retailers to increase their volume to 50 percent.
Looking at stocks, drugmaker Moderna received positive results from a Phase 1 clinical trial for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRNA | MODERNA INC. | 82.75 | +16.06 | +24.08% |
Automakers Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler reopened vehicle assembly plants on Monday at limited capacity. The industry employs about 1 million workers and makes up 6 percent of U.S. economic activity.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 5.18 | +0.28 | +5.72% |
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY | 24.39 | +1.76 | +7.78% |
| FCAU | FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES N.V. | 8.32 | +0.50 | +6.39% |
Apple will reopen 25 U.S. stores this week, 12 in Canada and 10 in Italy. Anyone entering the locations will be subject to temperature checks and be required to wear face coverings.
GrubHub has rejected Uber’s latest all-stock takeover offer of 1.9 Uber shares for each GrubHub share, saying the offer undervalued the company. Talks remain ongoing.
J.C. Penney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following Friday’s closing bell. The retailer earlier on Friday announced it had made a $17 million interest payment as it weighed strategic alternatives.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | APPLE INC. | 311.86 | +4.15 | +1.35% |
| GRUB | GRUBHUB INC | 56.61 | +1.64 | +2.98% |
| UBER | UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. | 33.76 | +1.28 | +3.96% |
| JCP | J.C. PENNEY | 0.21 | -0.02 | -9.01% |
West Texas Intermediate crude oil spiked 10 percent to $32.49 per barrel and gold slipped 0.58 percent to $1,746 an ounce.
U.S. Treasurys slipped, causing the yield on the 10-year note to climb 3.7 basis points to 0.677 percent.
European markets were higher across the board with Germany’s DAX up 4.19 percent, France’s CAC higher by 3.72 percent and Britain’s FTSE adding 3.11 percent.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.58 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite edged up 0.24 percent. Meanwhile, the Nikkei added 0.48 percent after government data showed the Japanese economy entered a recession in the first quarter.
