U.S. stocks were little changed on Thursday, after chipmaker Micron’s ( MU ) outlook put a dent in tech-rally optimism, as investors assessed fresh economic data ahead of the Federal Reserve’s key inflation reading.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) hugged the flatline after Wednesday’s rally, falling short of a new all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) wavered between positive and negative territory.
Shares have struggled following Micron’s sales forecast for the current quarter, which met expectations but failed to satisfy investors expecting better performance from AI-connected companies.
The polish surrounding AI has helped propel the S&P 500 to a 15% gain this year. But there are growing concerns that the rally could be at risk if a handful of tech companies driving most of those gains cap off already lofty expectations.
Shares of memory maker Micron fell more than 6% in early trading. Nvidia ( NVDA ) fell more than 2%, renewing concerns about a return to the selloff that gripped markets last week.
Investors weighed a fresh batch of economic data ahead of Friday’s PCE inflation print, which could influence the central bank’s thinking on the timing of interest rate cuts.
The initial weekly jobless claims reading was 233,000, down 6,000 from the previous week. According to Labor Department data. The print came in below consensus expectations of 235,000. But continuous jobless claims have risen sharply since late 2021, making it longer for the unemployed to find work.
Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024. Third evaluation The Bureau of Economic Development released Thursday morning. The print was slightly higher than the previous estimate of 1.3%.
Inflation could loom large in the first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday night.
On the corporate front, shares of Levi Strauss ( LEVI ) fell more than 15% after the jeans retailer missed second-quarter earnings. Investors will look to Nike’s ( NKE ) quarterly results after the bell for more clues to consumer resilience.
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