By Wallace Witkowski and Ellie Ismailidou, MarketWatch
S&P tries for 6th closing high in 8 days as Microsoft,
Morgan Stanley earnings beat forecasts
U.S. stocks on Wednesday maintained their recent rally toward
new closing highs, buoyed by a surge in tech stocks after a flurry
of corporate earnings beat the market's lowered expectations.
Notably, Morgan Stanley (MS) and Microsoft Corp.(MSFT) released
better-than-feared earnings, boosting the broader benchmarks after
disappointing quarterly results from Netflix Inc.(NFLX) on Tuesday
led both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to finish lower.
Gains in oil futures , which erased earlier losses after the
U.S. Energy Information Administration reported
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-pares-losses-after-eia-reports-fall-of-23-mln-barrels-in-us-crude-supplies-2016-07-20)that
domestic crude supplies declined, also helped boost risk
appetite.
The S&P 500 index climbed 11 points, or 0.5% to 2,175, led
by a 1.5% rise in technology stocks. At this level, the S&P 500
will have closed at a new all-time high in six out of eight
sessions.Three out of the index's 10 sectors were in negative
territory, with utilities stocks leading the modest losses, down
0.5%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 54 points, or 0.3% to
18,613, led by a 6.6% surge in Microsoft, which was contributing
over 20 points to the Dow. The blue-chip gauge was weighed by a
1.2% drop in Walt Disney Co.(DIS). The blue-chip average is on
track for its ninth day of gains, and seventh consecutive all-time
closing high.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 58 points, or
1.1%, to 5,094, hitting its highest level this year amid the broad
tech rally. The index, which has run at a loss for most of the
year, is up 1.6% for 2016.
"The most important thing is that it's not all that unusual when
you have a new high to get a new high," said Nicholas Colas, chief
market strategist at Convergex in an interview.
"It's very infrequently that a new high collapses, you see whole
strings, then one sticks out where the new high collapses -- that's
the actual oddball," he said.
New stock market highs are being supported by persistently low
global interest rates, continued good earnings of U.S. companies
where dividends have become yield substitutes, and enough global
scariness like the Brexit and the failed coup in Turkey to keep
central banks on the beam of accommodative monetary policy, Colas
said. Low trading volumes and a CBOE Volatility Index under 12 are
also key in supporting the new highs.
In absence of U.S. economic data, earnings reports dominated the
headlines. So far 14% of company's on the S&P 500 have reported
quarterly results, 64% of which have beat expectations, according
to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The overall optimism and boost in risk appetite was evident in
strong gains for the ultra-risky junk bonds (HYG) and a selloff in
haven investments, such as Treasurys gold futures .
"Whereas international headlines threatened to disrupt markets
just days ago, today it is hard to find a Brexit story or one about
the attempted coup in Turkey," said James Meyer, chief investment
officer at Tower Bridge Advisors, in emailed comments.
"When you have prices at all-time highs and volumes relatively
low, the setup is there for a couple of good earnings reports to
lift the broader market," said Mike Antonelli, equity sales trader
at R.W Baird & Co.
Aggregate earnings so far in the second quarter have shown a
4.4% decline in profits year-over-year, marking a fourth straight
quarter of weaker earnings, according to S&P Global Market
Intelligence.
Still, in terms of how earnings affect market moves "it's all
about the expectations, not the actual numbers," Antonelli said.
Even though the expectation bar is set low, as more and more
companies manage to beat forecasts and improve their outlook,
investors are thinking that "this is the trough and going forward
we will see an improvement," he added.
Movers and shakers: On Tuesday, both the S&P and the Nasdaq
as the broader market retreated after disappointing quarterly
results from Netflix Inc.(NFLX). The online-streaming service sank
13% for its worst percentage drop in a single day since October
2014. On Wednesday, Netflix was up 2.3%.
On a more upbeat note in the earnings season, shares of
Microsoft jumped 6.7% after the software giant's earnings released
late Tuesday beat analyst forecasts
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/microsoft-quarterly-profit-beats-expectations-2016-07-19).
The company also said its cloud and productivity businesses posted
revenue growth, even as overall sales fell.
In notable earnings on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley rose 1.5% after
reporting earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street's expectations
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/morgan-stanley-profit-and-revenue-fall-2016-07-20).
The report comes after Goldman Sachs Group
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/goldman-sachs-stock-turns-lower-analyst-sees-reason-to-be-less-bullish-2016-07-19)
Inc. (GS), J.P. Morgan Chase & Co
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jp-morgan-profit-falls-but-beats-estimates-2016-07-14-114851746).(JPM)
and Citigroup Inc
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/citigroup-profit-drops-but-beats-expectations-2016-07-15-8485346).(C)
also all beat on earnings for the second quarter.
Oil-field-services company Halliburton Co.(HAL) shares fell 0.8%
after the company said it swung to a second-quarter loss of $3.21
billion, but still beat analyst forecasts
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/halliburton-results-beat-expectations-sees-turn-in-north-america-market-2016-07-20).
Homeware-products maker Tupperware Brands Corp.(TUP) jumped 9.5%
after the company beat profit views, but cut its outlook
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tupperware-beats-profit-views-but-cuts-outlook-2016-07-20).
Intel Corp.(INTC), American Express Co.(AXP) and eBay Inc.(EBAY)
are among companies reporting after the bell.
There are no Federal Reserve speakers or major economic data on
tap for Wednesday.
Other markets: Asian markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei
225 index breaking a six-session winning streak
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikkei-rally-stalls-as-asian-markets-mixed-2016-07-20).
European stocks (European%20stocks) were near a one-month high,
helped by some upbeat corporate updates.
--Sara Sjolin in London contributed to this report.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 20, 2016 13:37 ET (17:37 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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