We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Tuesday, recording their third straight day of gains, as jobs data for July hinted at a cooling labor market while investors once again flocked to buy tech stocks in the closing days of a difficult August for markets. All three major indexes ended in positive territory.
How Did The Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 0.9% or 292.69 points to finish at 34,852.67 points.
The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% or 64.32 points, to close at 4,497.63 points. Communication services, tech and consumer discretionary stocks were the biggest gainers.
The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) gained 2%. The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) increased 2.2%, while the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) and the Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) gained 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. All 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in positive territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 1.7% or 238.63 points to end at 13,943.76 points.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was down 4.18% to 14.45.
Jobs Data Raise Optimism
Stocks rallied on Monday despite Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s cautious speech at Jackson Hole last week where she said that more interest rate hikes are required to bring down inflation. Investors looked past the comments and started the week on a positive note.
The positive sentiment continued on Tuesday, which got a further boost following the release of fresh economic data that showed job openings in July dropped to a 28-month low, while fewer workers were leaving their jobs.
July job openings fell to 8.8 million, lower than the consensus estimate of 9.5 million. At the same time, 3.5 million workers quit their jobs in July, the lowest since early 2021.
The JOLTS data clearly indicates that the labor market is cooling. Also, consumer confidence in August fell sharply to 106.1 from 114 in the prior month. This once again raised hopes that the Fed might keep its interest rates unchanged in its September meeting, sending stocks on a rally. There is an 86.5% chance now that the Fed will keep interest rates unaltered in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
Treasury Yields Ease
Lately, there has been a strong inverse relationship between stock market movements and fluctuations in benchmark bond yields. This correlation is driven by investors attempting to predict the direction of Fed policies.
On Tuesday, treasury yields fell further after hitting multi-year highs last week. The 2-year Treasury yield fell 16 basis points, while the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.12% on Tuesday after hitting its highest level since 2007 last week.
In other economic data released on Tuesday, home prices rose once again in June. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home prices index increased 0.9% in June on a month-over-month basis.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Shutterstock
Stock Market News for Aug 30, 2023
U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Tuesday, recording their third straight day of gains, as jobs data for July hinted at a cooling labor market while investors once again flocked to buy tech stocks in the closing days of a difficult August for markets. All three major indexes ended in positive territory.
How Did The Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 0.9% or 292.69 points to finish at 34,852.67 points.
The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% or 64.32 points, to close at 4,497.63 points. Communication services, tech and consumer discretionary stocks were the biggest gainers.
The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) gained 2%. The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) increased 2.2%, while the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) and the Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) gained 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. All 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in positive territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 1.7% or 238.63 points to end at 13,943.76 points.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was down 4.18% to 14.45.
Jobs Data Raise Optimism
Stocks rallied on Monday despite Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s cautious speech at Jackson Hole last week where she said that more interest rate hikes are required to bring down inflation. Investors looked past the comments and started the week on a positive note.
The positive sentiment continued on Tuesday, which got a further boost following the release of fresh economic data that showed job openings in July dropped to a 28-month low, while fewer workers were leaving their jobs.
July job openings fell to 8.8 million, lower than the consensus estimate of 9.5 million. At the same time, 3.5 million workers quit their jobs in July, the lowest since early 2021.
The JOLTS data clearly indicates that the labor market is cooling. Also, consumer confidence in August fell sharply to 106.1 from 114 in the prior month. This once again raised hopes that the Fed might keep its interest rates unchanged in its September meeting, sending stocks on a rally. There is an 86.5% chance now that the Fed will keep interest rates unaltered in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
Treasury Yields Ease
Lately, there has been a strong inverse relationship between stock market movements and fluctuations in benchmark bond yields. This correlation is driven by investors attempting to predict the direction of Fed policies.
On Tuesday, treasury yields fell further after hitting multi-year highs last week. The 2-year Treasury yield fell 16 basis points, while the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.12% on Tuesday after hitting its highest level since 2007 last week.
This sent tech stocks on a rally. Tuesday’s gains were led by NVIDIA Corporation ((NVDA - Free Report) ), which rose 4.2%. Shares of Tesla, Inc. ((TSLA - Free Report) ) jumped 7.7%, while Apple Inc. ((AAPL - Free Report) ) gained 2.2%. NVIDIA sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Economic Data
In other economic data released on Tuesday, home prices rose once again in June. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home prices index increased 0.9% in June on a month-over-month basis.