U.S. stocks climbed on Monday as the market attempted to rebound from the Dow Jones Industrial average’s worst week since October.
The blue-chip Dow rose 310 points, while the S&P 500 gained 0.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% as megacap names including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook all traded in the red.
Commodity stocks that were hit hard last week were rebounding, including Exxon and Chevron up about 1% apiece. Reopening plays including Gap and Boeing were higher. Banks including JPMorgan, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs also rebounded.
These sectors tied to the economic recovery led last week’s dip in stocks. The S&P 500 financials and materials sectors lost more than 6% on the week, while energy fell more than 5% and industrials dropped more than 3%.
U.S. stocks fell last week as investors digested new economic projections from the Federal Reserve and worried rate hikes could come sooner than expected. The Fed on Wednesday raised its inflation expectations and forecast rate hikes in 2023. St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard said Friday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that it was natural for the central bank to tilt a little more “hawkish” and saw higher interest rates as soon as 2022.
“The Fed’s ‘surprise’ move toward tapering that took markets lower last week is just the moment of recognition for a tightening trend that began months ago,” Mike Wilson, chief U.S. equity strategist, said in a note. “When combined with the peak rate of change in economic and earnings revisions, it sets up a more difficult summer.”
The Dow dropped 3.5% last week, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped 1.9% and 0.2%, respectively, on the week.
The U.S. market on Monday was resilient in the face of an overnight drop in Asian markets and a big decline in bitcoin. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell as much as 4% at one point on Monday with automakers Nissan and Honda leading the way. It would end up closing about 3% lower.
Meanwhile, bitcoin fell more than 6% to $33,000 as China continued its crackdown on cryptocurrency mining.
The Treasury yield curve flattened last week, hitting banks and sending a signal of a potential economic slowdown. The yields of shorter-term Treasurys, like the 2-year note, rose — reflecting expectations of the Fed raising rates. Longer-term yields, like the 10-year note, retreated — a sign of less optimism toward economic growth.
Investors await public appearances from Fed members on Monday. Bullard and Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan are set to speak virtually on a Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum panel at 9:00 a.m. ET. New York Fed President John Williams is expected to deliver remarks at a Midsize Bank Coalition of America event Monday afternoon.
