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US Stocks Hold Near Record Prices 04/29 15:26
More jumps for oil prices sent tremors through the U.S. bond market on
Wednesday, along with hints that some Federal Reserve officials don't want to
cut interest rates any time soon. But fat profit reports from Starbucks and
other big companies helped the U.S. stock market remain resilient despite that.
NEW YORK (AP) -- More jumps for oil prices sent tremors through the U.S.
bond market on Wednesday, along with hints that some Federal Reserve officials
don't want to cut interest rates any time soon. But fat profit reports from
Starbucks and other big companies helped the U.S. stock market remain resilient
despite that.
The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged and edged down by less than 0.1%, a
day after slipping from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average dropped 280 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite inched up by
less than 0.1%.
The action was more dramatic in the oil market, where the price for a barrel
of Brent crude to be delivered in July jumped 5.8% to settle at $110.44 per
barrel. That's where most of the trading is happening in the Brent market, and
it got as high as $111.84 later in the afternoon.
The highest price since the war with Iran began is $119.50 for the most
actively traded Brent contract, reached last month. On Wednesday, the price for
a barrel of Brent crude for delivery in June, which is getting less trading
action than July's contract, briefly breached that mark and got above $120.
Oil prices have jumped this week as President Donald Trump appears willing
to maintain the U.S. blockade of Iranian ships, which is preventing the country
from making money by selling oil. Iran, in turn, is keeping the Strait of
Hormuz closed to other oil tankers hoping to carry crude to customers worldwide
as long as the blockade continues.
High oil prices helped push the Federal Reserve to announce Wednesday that
it's continuing to hold off on cuts to interest rates. While lower rates could
give the economy a boost, they simultaneously risk worsening inflation.
Three Fed officials said they did not want to include anything suggesting
more cuts may be coming in the central bank's statement announcing the decision.
Treasury yields climbed in the bond market immediately afterward, adding to
gains from earlier in the day due to rising oil prices. The yield on the
10-year Treasury rose to 4.41% from 4.36% late Tuesday.
The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed
action, climbed more. It jumped to 3.93% from 3.84%, which is a notable move
for the bond market.
Traders still largely expect the Fed to hold the federal funds rate steady
through the end of this year, according to data from CME Group. But they
eliminated nearly all their bets for a cut to rates in 2026 in favor of a small
chance for a hike.
Still, the U.S. stock market held near its records as more companies joined
the procession reporting stronger profit growth for the start of 2026 than
analysts expected.
Visa jumped 8.3% after delivering stronger results than analysts expected,
and CEO Ryan McInerney said consumer spending remained resilient in the quarter.
Starbucks climbed 8.4% after likewise reporting better results than
expected, while saying customers spent more at each visit, particularly at its
North American stores.
But those not meeting expectations have gotten punished. GE Healthcare
Technologies dropped 13.2% after falling short of analysts' forecasts.
Robinhood Markets sank 13.2% after reporting growth in profit that was not as
strong as analysts expected.
Booking Holdings swung between losses and gains and finished with a gain of
0.3% after the online travel company reported better results than analysts
expected. It said the war with Iran is affecting its results and kept some
potential customers from booking rooms during the quarter.
The company behind Booking.com, Priceline and other brands said it expects
the conflict to continue affecting its business through the end of June. It
could affect travel not only in the Middle East but also in major transit
corridors, such as between Europe and Asia.
All told, the S&P 500 slipped 2.85 points to 7,135.95. The Dow Jones
Industrial Average dropped 280.12 to 48,861.81, and the Nasdaq composite added
9.44 to 24,673.24.
In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish
in Asia. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 1.7% for one of the world's strongest
moves, while London's FTSE 100 fell 1.2%.
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