Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

PBS and NPR Mount Last-Ditch Fight to Save Federal Funding

23 hours ago

Netanyahu Under Mounting Political Pressure After Party Quits

23 hours ago

Wall Street Opens Higher After Inflation, Bank Results

24 hours ago

Sick of Loud Ads on Netflix? A Proposed California Law Turns Down the Volume

2 days ago

Record Numbers of Americans Say Immigration Is Good for Country: Gallup Poll

2 days ago

In California Strawberry Fields, Immigration Raids Sow Fear

2 days ago

Newsom’s Office Attacks Stephen Miller, Calling Him a ‘Fascist Cuck’

2 days ago

Trump’s Spending Bill Will Likely Boost Costs for Insurers, Shrink Medicaid Coverage

2 days ago
Stock Market Today: Discouraging Economic Reports Knock Wall Street Further From Its Record
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 months ago on
February 21, 2025

The New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP/Demaree Nikhinson)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEW YORK — Wall Street is pulling further from its record after reports on Friday showed worries about President Donald Trump’s policies may be hitting the U.S. economy.

The S&P 500 was down 0.4% in morning trading, a day after a weaker-than-expected profit forecast from Walmart helped knock it off its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 357 points, or 0.8%, as of 10:20 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% lower.

Stock indexes pulled back following a series of weaker-than-expected reports on the economy. One suggested U.S. business activity is nearing stall-speed, with growth decelerating to a 17-month low. The preliminary report from S&P Global said activity for U.S. services businesses unexpectedly shrank, and many businesses in the survey reported optimism slumping because of worries about Washington.

“Companies report widespread concerns about the impact of federal government policies, ranging from spending cuts to tariffs and geopolitical developments,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Sales are reportedly being hit by the uncertainty caused by the changing political landscape, and prices are rising amid tariff-related price hikes from suppliers.”

US Consumers Preparing for Higher Inflation

A separate report said U.S. consumers are also preparing for higher inflation because of potential tariffs. They’re broadly expecting prices to be 4.3% higher 12 months from now, which is a big jump from last month’s forecast of 3.3% inflation, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. That fits with preliminary data the survey suggested earlier, though a divide is evident underneath the surface.

Inflation expectations are rising for political independents and Democrats, while falling slightly for Republicans.

A third report, meanwhile, said sales of previously occupied homes were weaker last month than economists expected. Relatively high mortgage rates have been hurting the housing market.

On Wall Street, Akamai Technologies helped drag the market lower even though the cybersecurity and cloud computing company reported stronger profit than expected. It fell 15.4% as investors focused instead on its forecasts for revenue and other financial measures this upcoming year, which fell short of analysts’ expectations.

UnitedHealth Group Dives

UnitedHealth Group was one of the heaviest weights on the market and fell 8.7% following a report that the U.S. Department of Justice has started an investigation into the health care giant’s Medicare billing practices. When asked for comment about the report from The Wall Street Journal, a UnitedHealth representative said they “will let you know if we have anything to say.”

On the winning side of Wall Street was Booking Holdings, the company behind Booking.com and OpenTable. It climbed 4.2% after delivering a better profit for the final three months of 2024 than analysts expected. It was able to grow its revenue while also cutting its operating costs.

Celsius Holdings, which sells “better-for-you” energy drinks, leaped 25% after saying it agreed to buy Alani Nu, a beverage company that focuses on female customers. Analysts called the purchase price, $1.65 billion net of tax effects, reasonable and said the deal should quickly add to its profits.

Overall, the S&P 500 is still heading for a week of only modest moves. It’s on track for a loss of only 0.4%. Helping to lift stocks has been a steady parade of better-than-expected profit reports. That’s been working against worries about stubbornly high inflation, which could prevent the Federal Reserve from delivering more relief for the economy and financial markets through lower interest rates.

10-Year Treasury Sinks

Treasury yields eased in the bond market following the economy reports. The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.45% from 4.51% late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for upcoming Fed action, fell to 4.23% from 4.27%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after rising across much of Asia.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3% after the government said a key measure of inflation remained above the Bank of Japan’s target level last month. That could encourage it to keep raising interest rates. Last month, the Bank of Japan raised its key policy rate to about 0.50% from 0.25%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 4% for one of the world’s largest moves,, boosted by a surge for e-commerce firm Alibaba, which reported stronger profit for the end of last year than expected. It also talked up its artificial-intelligence developments.

Excitement around AI, along with the potential profits that it can create, has been one of the main reasons stock indexes have rallied to their records.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

DON'T MISS

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

DON'T MISS

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

DON'T MISS

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

DON'T MISS

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

DON'T MISS

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

DON'T MISS

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

UP NEXT

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

UP NEXT

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

UP NEXT

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

UP NEXT

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

UP NEXT

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

UP NEXT

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

UP NEXT

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

UP NEXT

Trump Says Democratic Rival Schiff Should Be ‘Brought to Justice’ for Alleged Fraud

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

15 hours ago

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

15 hours ago

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

15 hours ago

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

15 hours ago

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

15 hours ago

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

16 hours ago

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

16 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

16 hours ago

Trump Says Democratic Rival Schiff Should Be ‘Brought to Justice’ for Alleged Fraud

17 hours ago

Madera County Authorities Seeks Help Finding Missing Bass Lake Man

17 hours ago

Open Mic Contest Offers Fans a Chance to Perform at Outside Lands 2025

For the first time in its 17-year history, Outside Lands is inviting fans to take the stage. The 2025 edition of the iconic Golden Gate Park...

1 hour ago

Outside Lands 2025 will debut its first-ever open mic contest, offering fans the opportunity to perform on the new Duboce Triangle stage. Pictured: Chappell Roan performing at Outside Lands 2024. (Alive Coverage/Outside Lands)
1 hour ago

Open Mic Contest Offers Fans a Chance to Perform at Outside Lands 2025

The number of osteopathic doctors has increased dramatically. People still don’t know what they are. (Sonia Pulido/The New York Times)
14 hours ago

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

14 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters File)
15 hours ago

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

15 hours ago

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

A grass fire east of Sanger burned 21 acres Tuesday, July 15, 2025, afternoon before being contained, CalFire said. (CalFire)
15 hours ago

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

15 hours ago

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

Jack Posobiec, a far-right political activist, carries a binder labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” as he exits the White House in Washington, Feb. 27, 2025. Here’s what to know about the disturbing facts and unsubstantiated suspicions that make Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender, a politically potent obsession. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
15 hours ago

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend