US markets settle lower on Monday

20 Oct 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Monday as investors worried about the prospects of a stimulus package being completed ahead of the November 3 election. The weakness that emerged on markets reflected concerns about whether lawmakers in Washington will reach an agreement on a new stimulus bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill revealed that the Democratic leader spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Hammill said while there was some encouraging news on testing, there remains work to do to ensure there is a comprehensive testing plan that includes contact tracing and additional measures to address the virus' disproportionate impact on communities of color. Hammill said that there remains an array of additional differences that must be addressed in a comprehensive manner in the next 48 hours.

On the economic data front, Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. climbed to another new record high in the month of October, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 85 in October from 83 in September. Street had expected the index to come in unchanged. NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said traffic remains high and record-low interest rates are keeping demand strong as the concept of 'home' has taken on renewed importance for work, study and other purposes in the Covid era. However, He added it is becoming increasingly challenging to build affordable homes as shortages of lots, labor, lumber and other key building materials are lengthening construction times.

Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 410.89 points or 1.44 percent to 28,195.42, Nasdaq fell 192.67 points or 1.65 percent to 11,478.88 and S&P 500 was down by 56.89 points or 1.63 percent 3,426.92.

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