US markets end sharply lower on Friday

15 Oct 2022 Evaluate

The US markets ended sharply lower on Friday with the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunging to its lowest closing level in over two years. Selling pressure emerged in the markets as traders turned concerned with a report from the University of Michigan showing a rebound in inflation expectations in the month of October. One-year inflation expectations climbed to 5.1 in October after dropping to a one-year low of 4.7 in September, while five-year inflation expectations increased to 2.9 percent in October after falling to 2.7 percent in September. On the sectoral front, Semiconductor stocks moved sharply lower over the course of the session, dragging the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down by 4.5 percent to a two-year closing low. Substantial weakness was also visible among steel stocks, as reflected by the 4.3 percent nosedive by the NYSE Arca Steel Index. A steep drop by the price of crude oil also weighed on energy stocks.

Meanwhile, traders were also reacting to earnings news from several big-name financial companies, with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) posting a strong gain after reporting third quarter results that beat analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines. Shares of Wells Fargo (WFC) also move to upside after the company reported better than expected third quarter revenues. On the other hand, shares of Morgan Stanley (MS) moved notably lower after the investment bank reported third quarter results that missed street estimates. Investors also remained cautious ahead of reports on industrial production, housing starts, and existing home sales to be out in next week.

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 403.89 points or 1.34 percent to 29,634.83, Nasdaq lost 327.76 points or 3.08 percent to 10,321.39 and S&P 500 was down by 86.84 points 2.37 percent to 3,583.07.

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