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US-STOCKS-MARKETS
US stocks lifted by tech giants, Fed relief
NEW YORK, Sept 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Strong gains by Apple, Amazon and
other tech giants helped propel US stocks higher Thursday, markets also
boosted by relief over the prior day’s Federal Reserve decision.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had fallen the last three days,
rose 0.2 percent to 26,439.93.
The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 0.3 percent to 2,914.00, while the tech-
rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.4 percent to 8,041.97.
Tesla Motors fell 5.9 percent in after-hours trading following reports
that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is suing Tesla and Elon Musk
over his statements connected to a brief effort to take the electric car
maker private. Shares closed the session 0.7 percent lower, prior to the
reports.
The broader gains came a day after the Fed lifted interest rates again and
signaled it expects to continue to raise rates gradually in light of solid
growth.
FTN Financial’s Chris Low said investors were relieved at Chairman Jerome
Powell’s tone, which characterized the economy as solid but not at imminent
risk of overheating.
“The chairman was calm and talked about how confident they are that
inflation will remain contained,” Low said, adding that markets were also
lifted by the lack of new headlines on a plethora of trade conflicts.
Dow member Apple advanced 2.1 percent to $225.01 after JPMorgan Chase set
a price target of $272 based on expectations for strong growth and more share
repurchases.
Amazon climbed 1.9 percent as it opened a new retail store in New York for
products that get top ratings from customers. The move is the online giant’s
latest push into brick-and-mortar selling.
Other large tech companies, including Facebook and Google-parent Alphabet
won more than one percent.
US-traded shares of Petrobras surged 4.9 percent after US and Brazilian
officials fined it more than $853 million over the cover up of a massive
bribery scandal.
The company said the settlement “puts an end to the uncertainties, risks,
burdens and costs of potential prosecution and protracted litigation in the
United States.”
Bed Bath & Beyond dived 21.0 percent after second quarter profits fell by
nearly 50 percent to $48.6 million. The weak results came as other retailers
have benefited from the strengthening US economy.
BSS/AFP/HR/0952