Stock market today: Indexes edge lower as investors take a breather after record-setting week

Oct 21, 2024
stock-market-today:-indexes-edge-lower-as-investors-take-a-breather-after-record-setting-week
  • US stocks dipped as investors await third-quarter earnings from major S&P 500 companies.
  • The slight decline on Monday follows a six-week win streak and record highs for S&P 500 and Dow Jones.
  • Of the 14% of S&P 500 firms reporting Q3 results so far, 81% have exceeded profit estimates.

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Bull

US stocks took a breather on Monday, with all three major indexes moving slightly lower as investors prepare for another wave of third-quarter earnings.

The slight decline comes after a six-week win streak in the major indexes and record highs for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average.

More than 20% of S&P 500 companies are set to report results this week, including Coca-Cola, Tesla, and UPS.

So far, investors should be feeling good about third-quarter earnings results.

Of the 14% of S&P 500 companies that have reported results so far, 81% beat profit estimates by a median of 6%, while real revenue growth accelerated to 2%, according to data from Fundstrat.

“This remains a solid earnings season so far,” Fundstrat’s Tom Lee said in a note on Monday, adding that the positive results are “supportive” of market fundamentals.

It’s a quiet week for economic data, though Fedspeak is set to ramp up with speeches from six members of the Federal Reserve.

Here’s where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Monday:

Here’s what else is going on:

In commodities, bonds, and crypto:

  • West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 1.82% to $69.94 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was higher by 1.56% to $74.20 a barrel.
  • Gold was higher by 0.82% to $2,752.90 an ounce.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield jumped 6 basis points to 4.140%.
  • Bitcoin was lower by 1.82% to $67,762.

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