Inflation worries gripped the market sentiment and tech stocks led the decliners extending losses in the final hour of trading. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2% and for the year sank 15.3%. Latest reading on inflation tomorrow is expected to show a 4-decade high above 8%. 10-year bond yield extended 5-week long rise to 2.79% surging from the low of 0.57% in August 2020.

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China stocks took another dive as Covid-19 lockdown begins to bite activities. Auto sales in March fell 10% from a year ago to 1.58 million as factories remain constrained and supply chains are disrupted. Producer price inflation increased higher than expected 8.3% in March. Guangzhou, the manufacturing hub, closed in-person schools. The EV maker Niio on Saturday suspended vehicle production.

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Airlines stocks advanced ahead of Delta Air earnings scheduled on Wednesday. Despite the surge in fuel cost in the previous quarter, jet fuel price increases are still lagging while the demand for leisure and corporate travel is healthier than a year ago. Leading airlines have shown the pricing power and domestic ticket costs are at least up 30% from the previous quarter.

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Market indexes opened lower led by weakness in tech stocks for the fourth week in a row and bond yields climbed as investors prepared for faster than anticipated rise in interest rates. Earnings season is expected to pick up momentum this week with large banks and airlines scheduled to report. Crude oil prices fell in New York and international markets on China demand worries.

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Tech stocks led the decliners for the third week in a row and U.S. indexes closed mixed. Nasdaq Composite fell 1.3% on Friday capping the weekly loss of 3.9% while the S&P 500 fell 0.3% and 1.3% respectively. Chipmakers led the weakness with persistent supply chain worries and growing threat of a recession. For the year, tech heavy Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are down 13.4% and 6.4% respectively.

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Transportation stocks fell again on the rising supply chain disruptions linked to China and Europe and surging inflation in the U.S. The tight lockdowns in China, the rerouting of energy supplies in Europe, and the elevated inflation are trimming the freight demand volume in the U.S. UPS fell for the 8th day in a row and for the year the industry index is down 12%.

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WD-40 second quarter sales rose 16% to $130 million and net income gained 13% to $19.5 million from a year ago period. Diluted earnings per share rose to $1.41 from $1.24 but gross margins declined to 50.4% from 55.4%. The lubricant maker is planning to pass on higher prices and increase gross margins in the longer term and revised annual EPS range higher to between $5.14 and 5.27.

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PriceSmart, the warehouse club operator said total sales in the fiscal second quarter increased 10.8% to $1.04 billion from a year ago and net income increased 11% to $31.5 million. Comparable store sales increased 10.3% from a year ago and the club operator opened 2 stores in 52 weeks totaling 49.

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WD-40 soared after the lubricant maker reported stronger earnings. PriceSmart advanced in active volume after the warehouse club chain said comparable store sales increased 10.3%. EPAM Systems said it has terminated its operations in Russia and plans to spend as much as $100 million in assisting Ukrainian employees in relocating. Kroger and Target gained on broker recommendations.

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U.S. indexes are inching higher after a volatile week as investors digest the change of inflation stance by the Federal Reserve. For the week so far, Nasdaq Composite is down 2.6% and S&P 500 has fallen 1%. Investors continue to pour money into commodities ETFs. 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds are yielding near 2.69%, a steady rise from 1.63% at the start of the year.

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The U.S. Senate in a unanimous vote approved to drop the most favored nation status of Russia and Belarus and ban oil and coal imports. The measure was also approved by the House The import ban against alcohol, diamonds, and seafood adds up to about $1 billion. Natural resources including silver, palladium, rhodium, plywood, and semi-finished steel will face higher import taxes replacing tariffs.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed after a contentious battle by the U.S. Senate 53-47 vote as the Supreme Court Justice as the first black woman to serve on the bench. The 116th Justice Jackson will fill Stephen Breyer's seat at the end of this summer and diversify the bench but is unlikely to tilt the conservative ideology dominating the court.



Movers: HP, System1, Sprinklr

Apr 7, 2022
Barry Adams
HP Inc surged 15% after Warren Buffett controlled Berkshire Hathaway disclosed 11% stake in the company. System1 extended its week-long advance after the release of fourth-quarter earnings and better than expected outlook. Sprinklr, the customer experience software developer, reported higher than expected revenues and next quarter and annual revenues.

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Broad market indexes turned negative in early trading but small cap index edged up slightly higher as investors digested Fed officials' discussion about rate outlook and a plan to sell U.S. bonds. Crude oil edged higher to just below $97 and international oil hovered near $102 a barrel. Utilities and consumer products companies were in favor as investors looked for safe haven stocks.

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U.S. stock indexes in steady decline touched the lows just ahead of the release of the monetary policy meeting minutes. Indexes trimmed losses after the release of the Fed's plan to shrink a bloated portfolio of U.S. bonds but the Nasdaq Composite led the losers with more than 2% loss. Pre-earnings rally was on hold as the dollar advanced to a 11-month high and the U.S. 10-year yield rose to 2.6%.

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