Stocks fell on Wednesday, reversing gains from earlier in the week, as investors kept an eye on the bond market and signs of an economic slowdown.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 227 points, or 0.7%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively.
The moves came as investors weighed updates from major companies and signs that economic growth may be slowing.
Overseas, Credit Suisse issued a profit warning for the second quarter, citing tighter monetary policy and the war in Ukraine. Target, which issued its own warning on Tuesday, was under pressure again on Wednesday after being downgraded to neutral from buy by Bank of America.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow tracker now shows a growth rate of just 0.9% for the second quarter, down from 1.3% last week. Mortgage demand hit its lowest level in 22 years last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
As the Federal Reserve continues to tighten monetary conditions, the concerns about economic growth and corporate earnings could have a bigger impact on stocks, Allianz chief economic advisor Mohamed El-Erian said on “Squawk Box.”
“The markets have been taking this news much better than they would have otherwise, but if I were fully invested right now, I’d take some chips off the table. I would wait for me value to be created,” El-Erian said.
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