Apple led the gains on the blue-chip index
U.S. stocks posted broad-based gains on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 with the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapping its eight-day losing streak, as investors cheered better-than-expected economic data. Attracting the most attention was a reading of consumer confidence in March, which soared to the highest level in more than 16 years. Separately, U.S. house prices roared to their highest in nearly three years as demand remains brisk.
The Dow rose 150.52 points, or 0.7%, to close at 20,701.50. The S&P 500 index advanced 16.98 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 2,358.57 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index added 34.77 points, or 0.6%, to end at 5,875.14.
Apple led the gains on the blue-chip index to close at a record as its market capitalization topped $754 billion.
Even comments from Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer that the central bank could hike rates two more times this year didn't dampen the buoyant sentiment. Tighter monetary policy is often viewed as a sign of economic health.
Tuesday's action follows a week of declines as investors questioned the ability of President Donald Trump's administration and that of congressional Republicans to implement tax cuts and other fiscal-policy measures after the failure to bring controversial health-care legislation to a vote on the House floor.
So far this week, the ICE U.S. Dollar Index has lost 0.6%. It traded nearly flat on Tuesday. U.S. equities traded on a mixed note for the session, with the Dow Industrials trying to snap an eight day losing streak.
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Among economic reports expected for the day, the consumer confidence reading for March rose to 125.6 from the prior month's revised reading of 116.1 (from 114.8). The consensus expected the survey to hit 113.3. The key takeaway from this report is that consumers were emboldened by a positive view of current business and labor market conditions. There was an improvement in the short-term outlook for business, jobs, and personal income prospects, and more upside is expected on these fronts.
The Advance report for International Trade in Goods for February showed a deficit of $64.8 billion (consensus -$66.1 billion), up from a revised deficit of $68.8 billion for January (from $69.2 billion). The Advance report for February Wholesale Inventories increased 0.4% (consensus 0.2%). The prior month's reading was revised to -0.2% from -0.1%. Separatrely, the January Case-Shiller 20-city Index hit 5.7% to follow last month's revised 5.5% increase (from 5.6%). The consensus expected a reading of 5.6%.
Bullion metals ended little higher at Comex on Tuesday, 29 March 2017. Gold futures traded flat on Tuesday as investors weighed the outlook for the Trump administration's fiscal-policy agenda following last week's failed effort at overhauling the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
Gold for April delivery on Comex rose $1.50, or 0.1%, to $1,257 an ounce, while May silver was up 9.7 cents, or 0.5%, at $18.205 an ounce.
Oil prices settled at a roughly one-week high on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 buoyed by disruptions to Libyan crude production and talk of a six-month extension to an OPEC-led pact to limit global output.
May West Texas Intermediate crude oil the U.S. benchmark rose 64 cents, or 1.3%, to settle at $48.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On the ICE Futures exchange in London, May Brent crude tacked on 58 cents, or 1.1%, to $51.33 a barrel.
Skeptics of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' deal to curb output have argued that the production cuts would be at least partially offset by Libya, which doesn't have an output quota under the deal. An armed group in Libya shut pipelines Monday because of a dispute over wage issues, disrupting production of 250,000 barrels a day. But the news follow reports last week that Libya planned to raise its output to 800,000 barrels a day by April, from current production of 700,000 barrels a day.
On Wednesday, investors will receive the weekly MBA Mortgage Applications Index at 7:00 ET and February Pending Home Sales (consensus 2.4%) at 10:00 ET.
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