NEW YORK (dpa-AFX) – On Wall Street, the start of trading on Thursday should initially be characterized by restraint. Although the US leading index Dow Jones Industrial had struggled to reach a record high in the middle of the week, the mood remains tense. The broker IG estimated the world’s best-known stock market barometer around three quarters of an hour before the stock market launch with 0.54 percent in the red at 31,442 points.
The current discussion about a return of inflation remains in focus. According to stockbrokers, as bond yields rise, concerns are growing that higher borrowing costs could undo a rally that has recently driven major stock indices to record highs. Tech companies that generate the majority of their cash inflows in the future are particularly vulnerable.
Against this background, investors should also look to the fresh US economic data. The prices for goods imported into the USA rose faster than expected at the beginning of the year. In addition, the number of initial jobless claims rose surprisingly last week. In contrast, the business climate in the Philadelphia region deteriorated less than expected in February.
On the corporate side, Walmart, among other things, is moving into focus. Booming online sales have made business at the largest US retailer buzz in the pandemic, but high costs and expenses are piling up the balance sheet. For 2021, Walmart issued a cautious business outlook, which, in addition to the quarterly loss, was not well received by investors. The shares sagged in pre-market US trading by more than five percent.
The shares of Nutrien but gained around three percent before the market. The world’s largest fertilizer manufacturer surprisingly benefited significantly from a boom in the agricultural sector at the end of the year in 2020 and expects continued good market conditions./la/mis
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