U.S. Stocks Extend Pullback Ahead Of Key Inflation Data

Market Overview - Stocks experienced further downside on Thursday, continuing a pullback after reaching record closing highs earlier in the week. The Nasdaq fell by 113.16 points (0.5%) to 22,384.70, the S&P 500 declined by 33.25 points (0.5%) to 6,604.72, and the Dow dropped by 173.96 points (0.4%) to 45,947.32 [1] Economic Indicators - The Labor Department reported a decrease in initial jobless claims, falling to 218,000, down by 14,000 from the previous week's revised level of 232,000, contrary to economists' expectations of an increase to 235,000 [3] - Jobless claims have now pulled back from a nearly four-year high, reaching the lowest level since July 19th when they hit 217,000. Additionally, there was an unexpected surge in durable goods orders for August and stronger-than-expected GDP growth in the second quarter [4] Sector Performance - Airline stocks saw a significant decline, with the NYSE Arca Airline Index dropping by 2.9% to its lowest closing level in over a month. Pharmaceutical stocks also faced weakness, as indicated by a 2.0% slump in the NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index, which ended at a one-month closing low [6] - Biotechnology, healthcare, and computer hardware stocks experienced considerable weakness, while gold stocks performed well amid an increase in gold prices [7] Interest Rate Outlook - The Federal Reserve's September dot plot suggested potential rate cuts in the upcoming meetings in late October and December, although the likelihood of consecutive cuts remains uncertain [5] - The bond market showed continued weakness following positive U.S. economic data, with the yield on the benchmark ten-year note rising by 2.5 basis points to 4.172% [9]