US markets end deeply in red on Thursday

10 Mar 2023 Evaluate

The US markets ended deeply in red on Thursday, with bank stocks creating the biggest drag. Investors grew increasingly concerned that higher interest rates would result in banks facing losses on loans due to borrower defaults. Further, traders looked ahead to the release of the Labor Department's more closely watched monthly jobs report on Friday. Street currently expect employment to jump by 203,000 jobs in February after surging by 517,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate is expected to hold at 3.4 percent. On the sectoral front, banking stocks moved sharply lower over the course of the session, dragging the KBW Bank Index down by 7.7 percent to its lowest closing level in almost five months. Substantial weakness also emerged among oil service stocks, as reflected by the 4.2 percent nosedive by the Philadelphia Oil Service Index.

Brokerage stocks also showed a significant move to the downside on the day, resulting in a 4.1 percent plunge by the NYSE Arca Broker/Dealer Index. The index ended the session at its lowest closing level in well over a month. On the economic data front, the Labor Department released a report showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by more than expected in the week ended March 4th. The report said initial jobless claims climbed to 211,000, an increase of 21,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 190,000. Street had expected jobless claims to inch up to 195,000. With the bigger than expected increase, jobless claims reached their highest level since hitting 223,000 in the week ended December 24th.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 543.54 points or 1.66 percent to 32,254.86, Nasdaq dropped 237.65 points or 2.05 percent to 11,338.35 and S&P 500 was down by 73.69 points or 1.85 percent to 3,918.32. 

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