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| Top News Shutterstock Stocks stumbled through a choppy trading session to end lower Friday, as investors digested the latest nonfarm payrolls report following hotter than expected private hiring data the previous day. The U.S. government report showed the economy created 209,000 jobs in June, well below expectations and the smallest increase since the end of 2020. The data was taken by some as a sign that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes were finally starting to cool the labor market, but other details of the report such as stronger than forecast wage gains suggested the Fed may have reason to resume raising rates later this month. After the mixed data, equities may be ripe for a pullback following big gains in June and in the second quarter, which could lead to choppiness and consolidation heading into earnings season. Yields were mixed on Friday. The longer-end 10-year yield was up 2 basis points to 4.06% while the more rate-sensitive 2-year yield was down 7 basis points to 4.94%. For the week, the Dow Jones dropped 1.9% - its largest weekly decline since March - the S&P 500 fell 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite closed down 0.9%. Read a preview of next week's major events in Seeking Alpha's Catalyst Watch. | | Featured Research shows that individual investors collectively underperform the stock market, because their decisions are often driven by emotions. We believe that as an investor you can do really well if you find opportunities based on 360-degree analysis - not hype. Seeking Alpha Premium's unparalleled stock coverage gives you the insights you need to stay ahead of the curve. With timely insights on stocks, ETFs, and more, you can track the investments that matter most to you. Plus, you can discover hidden gems and compelling new ideas with our exclusive stock ratings. Go Premium and experience its incredible value for yourself. Go Premium now | | Economy The Supreme Court has overturned the Biden administration's student-debt forgiveness plan in a 6-3 decision, ruling it exceeded the authority Congress granted to the executive branch. The plan, struck down on Friday, would have wiped off $430B in loans from the government's books, but there are already some alternatives that are in the making. "This carries huge implications for inflation, consumer discretionary spending, and the distribution of wealth in the U.S.," writes SA analyst Logan Kane, analyzing winners and losers from the landmark ruling. Related student loan stocks, including SoFi Technologies ( SOFI), Sallie Mae ( SLM), Navient ( NAVI), and Nelnet ( NNI), have been jittery since the ruling. ( 916 comments) | | Tech Call it a trade war, a tech war, or even a chip war, but the fight between the world's two largest economies is ratcheting up to the next level. China has unveiled a set of national security restrictions that are likely to further disrupt the global supply chain by placing export controls on chipmaking metals gallium and germanium. The U.S. has opposed the latest restrictions and plans to consult with its allies to address the issue. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the top U.S. economic policymaker, is currently in China meeting senior officials to help defuse tensions with Beijing. ( 65 comments) | | Tech Instagram has launched Threads, its short-posting text app, as Meta Platforms ( META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes on Elon Musk and Twitter. "Let's do this," Zuckerberg declared, before the app garnered 30M downloads within 24 hours. Musk's response? "It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram." But his bravado quickly faded, with Twitter threatening to sue Meta. Many analysts have lauded Threads, with some projecting a long-term sales boost for Meta, while Investing Group Leader Daniel Jones acknowledged some risks associated with the launch, but believes the good outweighs the bad. ( 148 comments) | | | | Central Banking Some officials at the Federal Reserve's June meeting favored raising the key policy rate by 25 basis points, according to FOMC minutes, which cited a still-tight labor market, stronger-than-expected economic activity, and persistently high inflation. On the other hand, "almost all participants judged it appropriate to maintain the target range at 5.00%-5.25% at this meeting" to give them more time to assess the impact of the tightening cycle on the economy. The minutes did little to move markets, with Wall Street's major averages ending slightly lower on Wednesday. "The Fed may have a more hawkish stance on the issue of raising interest rates than previously anticipated," said Investing Group Leader Daniel Jones. ( 74 comments) | | Weekly movement U.S. Indices Dow -2% to 33,735. S&P 500 -1.2% to 4,399. Nasdaq -0.9% to 13,661. Russell 2000 -1.3% to 1,865. CBOE Volatility Index +9.1% to 14.83.
S&P 500 Sectors Consumer Staples -1.1%. Utilities -0.2%. Financials -0.5%. Telecom -0.3%. Healthcare -2.9%. Industrials -1%. Information Technology -1.5%. Materials -2.%. Energy -0.7%. Consumer Discretionary -0.3%. Real Estate +0.5%.
World Indices London -3.7% to 7,257. France -3.9% to 7,112. Germany -3.4% to 15,603. Japan -2.4% to 32,388. China -0.2% to 3,197. Hong Kong -2.9% to 18,366. India +0.9% to 65,280.
Commodities and Bonds Crude Oil WTI +4.4% to $73.71/bbl. Gold +0.1% to $1,930.5/oz. Natural Gas -8.4% to 2.563. Ten-Year Bond Yield -0.2 bps to 4.066.
Forex and Cryptos EUR/USD +0.54%. USD/JPY -1.55%. GBP/USD +1.05%. Bitcoin -1.1%. Litecoin -9.%. Ethereum -3.3%. XRP -1.4%.
Top S&P 500 Gainers Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) +12%. Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) +11%. Schlumberger (SLB) +10%. Global Payments (GPN) +9%. Bunge (BG) +9%.
Top S&P 500 Losers NIKE (NKE) -8%. Generac Holdings (GNRC) -8%. Micron Technology (MU) -6%. MarketAxess Holdings (MKTX) -5%. Best Buy Co (BBY) -5%.
Where will the markets be headed next week? Current trends and ideas? Add your thoughts to the comments section. | | Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Breakfast Podcast Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Breakfast podcast brings you all the news you need to know for your market day. Released by 8:00 AM ET each morning, it is a quick listen that you can put on as you get ready to start your working day. | | | | |