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Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) gains on plans to split TV,
streaming
units
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Adobe drops after forecasting 2025 revenue below estimates
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Centene ( CNC ) rises after guiding 2025 profit above expectations
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Indexes down: Dow 0.04%, S&P 500 0.14%, Nasdaq 0.18%
(Updates with mid-session trading)
By Purvi Agarwal and Shashwat Chauhan
Dec 12 (Reuters) -
Wall Street's main indexes inched lower on Thursday after
the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended the previous session on a
positive note, while investors parsed through some of the last
economic datasets ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting.
The Nasdaq soared past the 20,000 mark for the first time on
Wednesday as the technology rally showed no signs of a halt,
while the S&P 500 closed at its highest in nearly a week after
an in-line inflation reading locked in a 25 basis point cut by
the Fed at its Dec. 17-18 meeting.
Meanwhile, data showed U.S. producer prices rose more than
expected in November but a moderation in the costs of services
offered hope that the disinflationary trend remains in place,
while the number of Americans filing new applications for
unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week.
"I still think the expectation is for the Fed to cut rates
next week and so the market is looking past the numbers that
came out today," said Leslie Thompson, chief investment officer
at Spectrum Wealth Management.
Thompson also added that there was some profit-taking as
markets "came off of a strong day with the Nasdaq making
all-time highs yesterday."
Trader bets on the cut next week stand at over 98%,
according to CME's FedWatch Tool. However, they indicate
expectations of a pause in January after several Fed officials
last week urged caution over the pace of monetary policy easing
as the economy remained resilient.
At 11:16 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
fell 20.41 points, or 0.04%, to 44,128.72, the S&P 500
lost 8.74 points, or 0.14%, to 6,075.45 and the Nasdaq Composite
lost 35.53 points, or 0.18%, to 19,999.37.
Seven of the 11 major S&P sub-sectors were trading
lower, with the energy sector at the bottom with a 0.6%
decline.
Megacap and growth stocks were mixed, with Nvidia ( NVDA )
down 1.7%, while Microsoft ( MSFT ) gained 1.4%.
Adobe's 12.5% slide after the Photoshop maker
forecast fiscal 2025 revenue below Wall Street expectations also
added to the technology sector's losses.
Wall Street's main indexes have set new record highs
multiple times this year, thanks to a rally driven by
heavyweight tech stocks that have exploited the euphoria around
artificial intelligence and the Fed's interest rate cuts.
U.S. equities capped off a remarkable November after Donald
Trump's victory in the presidential election on the prospects of
business-friendly policies adding to corporate profits, and have
kicked off December on a broadly positive note.
Among significant movers, Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD )
jumped 14.2% after the media giant decided to separate its
declining cable TV business from the streaming and studio
operations.
Nordson ( NDSN ) lost 8% as the dispensing equipment maker
forecast fiscal 2025 revenue below Wall Street estimates, while
health insurer Centene ( CNC ) gained 1.2% after forecasting its
2025 profit above estimates.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.88-to-1
ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.67-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 posted seven new 52-week highs and four new
lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 54 new highs and 99
new lows.