{"id":133014,"date":"2021-07-22T16:12:34","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T16:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=133014"},"modified":"2021-07-22T16:12:34","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T16:12:34","slug":"wall-street-extends-rally-on-strong-earnings-economic-optimism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/business\/wall-street-extends-rally-on-strong-earnings-economic-optimism\/","title":{"rendered":"Wall Street extends rally on strong earnings, economic optimism"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Wall Street advanced on Wednesday for the second straight day, as strong corporate earnings and renewed optimism about the U.S. economic recovery stoked investor risk appetite.<\/p> All three major U.S. stock indexes appeared set to build on the previous session\u2019s gains, which delivered the S&P 500\u2019s best day since March.<\/p>\n With Wednesday\u2019s advance, all three are within 1% of their all-time closing highs.<\/p>\n Economically sensitive smallcaps, semiconductors and financials outperformed the broader market.<\/p>\n \u201cEarnings have been coming in with some nice surprises and the market has responded well to the pullback last week,\u201d said Matthew Keator, managing partner at the Keator Group, a wealth management firm in Lenox, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n A rebound in travel helped fuel United Airlines\u2019 revenue beat, boosting its stock by 3.2%.<\/p>\n The S&P 1500 Airlines index gained 2.9%, while the S&P 1500 Hotels, Restaurant and Leisure index advanced 3.0%.<\/p>\n \u201cThe travel and tourism trade is heavily affected by pent-up demand, people wanting to be out and about and doing things,\u201d Keator added. \u201cIt will be interesting to see if that starts to wane.\u201d<\/p>\n Benchmark U.S. Treasury yields continued their bounce from five-month lows to the benefit of rate-sensitive banks. The S&P 500 Banking index gained 2.4%.<\/p>\n Wrangling in Washington over the passage of a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure package progressed as Senate Democrats moved toward a planned procedural vote despite Republican appeals for a delay.<\/p>\n The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 250.35 points, or 0.73%, to 34,762.34, the S&P 500 gained 29.18 points, or 0.67%, to 4,352.24 and the Nasdaq Composite added 93.49 points, or 0.64%, to 14,592.37.<\/p>\n Of the 11 major sectors in the S&P 500, energy stocks were the big winners, the group\u2019s 3.9% advance helped by surging crude prices. [O\/R]<\/p>\n Second-quarter reporting season has shifted into overdrive, with 73 of the companies in the S&P 500 having posted results. Of those, 88% have beaten consensus expectations.<\/p>\n Current estimates show aggregate year-on-year S&P 500 earnings growth of 75% for the April to June period, a significant jump from the 54% growth seen at the beginning of the quarter.<\/p>\n Among the winners, Chipotle Mexican Grill touched a record high, jumping 12.7% after the burrito chain beat earnings estimates and forecast strong current-quarter sales growth. The stock boasted the S&P 500\u2019s largest percentage gain.<\/p>\n Coca-Cola rose 1.2% after raising its full-year forecast.<\/p>\n Verizon Communications advanced 1.1% following its earnings beat, which was attributed to growing demand for its 5G services.<\/p>\n Interpuplic Group of Companies jumped 12.5% in the wake of its upbeat earnings release.<\/p>\n Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson forecast $2.5 billion in sales from its one-shot COVID vaccine this year and hiked its sales estimates. Its was last up a modest 0.2%.<\/p>\n On the losing side, Netflix Inc late Tuesday reported slowing subscriber growth, sending its share down 4.1%, the largest percentage decliner in the S&P 500.<\/p>\n Harley-Davidson\u2019s second-quarter earnings release showed its turnaround plan appeared to be making progress, but the company lowered its operating income guidance due to tariffs from Europe, its second-biggest market. Its shares dropped 6.6%.<\/p>\n Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 3.04-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 3.23-to-1 ratio favored advancers.<\/p>\n The S&P 500 posted 35 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 55 new highs and 30 new lows.<\/p>\n