US markets end higher as investors focus on American economy reopening

21 May 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Wednesday on continued optimism about an economic recovery as states begin to reopen following the coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Early indications suggest the states that have reopened have not seen a spike in coronavirus cases, which has led to hopes the economy may rebound more quickly than many street predict. Positive sentiment was also generated in reaction to earnings news from Lowe's (LOW), with the home improvement retailer reporting first quarter results that exceeded street estimates on both the top and bottom lines. At the same time, the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting highlighted concerns about the extraordinary amount of uncertainty and considerable risks to economic activity created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The minutes said participants at the late-April meeting discussed several alternative scenarios with regard to the behavior of economic activity in the medium term that all seemed about equally likely. The Fed said these scenarios differed in the assumed length of the pandemic and the consequent economic disruptions. Meanwhile, traders largely shrugged off a report raising doubts about Moderna’s (MRNA) potential coronavirus vaccine.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 369.04 points or 1.52 percent to 24,575.9, Nasdaq gained 190.67 points or 2.08 percent to 9,375.78 and S&P 500 was up by 48.67 points or 1.67 percent to 2,971.61.

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