ASX set to slip despite another bright Wall Street session
Stocks are moving higher yet again on Monday (US time), adding to a streak that gave the market its best weekly gain since November last week. Investors continue to be focused on company earnings and the higher prospects for more economic stimulus to combat the impact of the coronavirus.
In mid-afternoon trade, the S&P 500 is up 0.3 per cent , the Dow Jones Industrial Average has added 0.4 per cent and and the Nasdaq is 0.5 per cent higher. Small-company stocks continued to far outpace the rest of the market, with the Russell 2000 index of small company stocks up 1.8 per cent, That’s a sign investors are feeling optimistic about the economy.
Despite the positive lead, the Australian sharemarket is poised to slip with futures pointing to a fall of 24 points, or 0.4 per cent, at the open.
Wall Street investors have been encouraged by surprisingly good corporate earnings reports, news that a recent surge in new coronavirus cases is easing, and progress in the distribution of vaccines.
“The resilience of the corporate sector has been resounding,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. “The path of least resistance is still higher.”
President Biden and Congressional Democrats appear to be moving forward with their own version of a coronavirus stimulus bill that is estimated to cost $US1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion). The Senate and House took procedural steps late last week to pass the bill using a process known as reconsolidation, which does not require 60 votes to advance in the Senate.
In another sign of optimism, Treasury yields continued to push higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.16 per cent, more than double where it was six months ago. While there have been near-zero signs of inflation in recent months, investors believe improving economic fortunes and trillions of dollars in stimulus could make stocks more attractive, and therefore make bond yields rise as their prices fall.
Technology companies led the broader market higher. Energy companies were also among the winners as oil prices climbed about 2 per cent. Occidental Petroleum jumped 11.6 per cent. and Exxon Mobil rose 4.1 per cent.
Tesla rose 2 per cent after the company said it had purchased $US1.5 billion in Bitcoin and pIans to allow customers to pay for their electric vehicles with the digital currency. Bitcoin was up 14 per cent to $US43,715 according to digital currency brokerage Coinbase.
Investors continue to watch shares of GameStop, AMC Entertainment and other beaten-down companies who have been a focus of online investors the last several weeks. GameStop shares were up slightly, but are still reeling from the massive drop the stock felt last week. Just this month GameStop shares are down 80 per cent.
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Source: Thanks smh.com