Stocks Slip After Surprising Report on Manufacturing

Unexpectedly strong data could delay rate cuts plan
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 1, 2024 3:44 PM CDT
Stocks Slip After Surprising Report on Manufacturing
Pedestrians walk past the New York Stock Exchange building.   (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Stocks slipped from their record heights Monday after a surprisingly strong report on US manufacturing raised worries about how much interest rates could ease this year.

  • The S&P 500 fell 10.58 points, or 0.2%, to 5,243.77, coming off an all-time high and its latest winning month.
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 240.52 points, or 0.6%, to 39,566.85.
  • The Nasdaq composite edged up 17.37 points, or 0.1%, to 16,396.83.
Treasury yields climbed after a report said manufacturing unexpectedly returned to growth last month, snapped a 16-month run of contraction. That raised concerns about upward pressure on inflation, which could diminish the Federal Reserve's desire to cut interest rates, the AP reports. Other updates this week could sway that view, including Friday's jobs report.

Universal Health Services fell 4.1% for one of the S&P 500's largest losses. It said a jury in Illinois awarded $535 million in damages to a patient who alleged negligence in a sexual-assault case involving another patient. The company said it has insurance to cover some of the amount, but the case's final resolution may end up having a material effect on its financials. FedEx sank 3.3% after it said it did not extend its contract with the US Postal Service to deliver air cargo domestically, which will end Sept. 29.

Donald Trump's social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, lost more than a fifth of its value in another frenetic day of trading. The company, whose main business is the Truth Social platform, said that it lost $58.2 million last year on just $4.1 million in revenue. Its stock tumbled 21.5%. Helping to keep the losses in check was Newmont. The miner's stock rose 1.9% as the price of gold continues to set records.

(More stock market stories.)

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