US markets end mostly lower on Wednesday

20 Apr 2023 Evaluate

The US markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday. Markets showed a lack of direction over the course of the trading session. The choppy trading on Wall Street came as traders reacted the latest earnings news, with shares of Netflix (NFLX) moving sharply lower after the streaming giant reported weaker than expected first quarter revenues. Some negative sentiment was generated in reaction to a jump in treasury yields, with the yield on the benchmark ten-year note reaching its highest levels in nearly a month. The increase in treasury yields reflected concerns about global inflation after a report showed U.K. consumer prices increased more than expected in March. On the sectoral front, computer hardware stocks moved sharply lower on the day. The NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index plunged by 3.1 percent after ending Tuesday's trading at a two-month closing high.

On the economic front, the Federal Reserve released its Beige Book report, noting U.S. economic activity was little changed in recent weeks. The Beige Book, a compilation of anecdotal evidence on economic conditions in each of the twelve Fed districts, said nine districts reported either no change or only a slight change in activity while three indicated modest growth. Expectations for future growth were mostly unchanged as well, although two districts saw outlooks deteriorate, the Fed said. The report also said job growth moderated somewhat this period as several districts reported a slower pace of growth than in recent Beige Book reports. The Fed added a small number of firms reported mass layoffs, and those were centered at a subset of the largest companies.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79.62 points or 0.23 percent to 33,897.01 and S&P 500 was down by 0.35 points or 0.01 percent to 4,154.52, while Nasdaq gained 3.81 points or 0.03 percent to 12,157.23.

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