Wall Street Close: Vaccine woes test bulls even as S&P 500, Nasdaq refresh record top


  • Wall Street closed mixed despite Nasdaq 100, S&P 500 refreshed record top.
  • Bond auction, Johnson & Johnson vaccine news troubled bulls amid upbeat US data, Coinbase debut.
  • ECB’s Lagarde, Fed’s Powell and bond moves should be watched closely.

Despite propelling Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 to new all-time highs, Wall Street closes mixed on Tuesday. The moves could largely be attributed to the vaccine news as well as the market’s reflation fears. However, expectations of more fund inflow due to the Coinbase debut favored bulls, not to forget the weaker US dollar.

The DJIA dropped 68.13 points, 0.20%, to close at 33,677.27 whereas the Nasdaq Composite Index came in first with 1.05% gains, up 146.10 points to 13,996.10. Further, the S&P 500 Index also followed the suit by adding 12.14 points, or 0.29%, while refreshing the record top to 4,148.20 before closing around 4,141.

US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March rose beyond 2.5% forecast and 1.7% prior to 2.6% YoY whereas the CPI ex Food & Energy grew past-1.5% expected and 1.3% previous readouts to 1.6% on a yearly format. Further, the 30-year bond auction met with strong demand while flashing a 2.32% rate versus 2.295% prior.

Other than the data and yields, the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine jitters also tested the equity bulls as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped Johnson & Johnson jabs after blood clotting issues. The news raises doubts over the further lifting of the virus-led activity restrictions and challenges the pace of economic recovery.

Even so, investors remained mostly hopeful and propelled S&P 500 as well as Nasdaq 100 to record tops ahead of the Coinbase listing. “Coinbase is set to go public Wednesday in a direct listing that could value the cryptocurrency exchange at as much as $100 billion,” per CNBC.

Looking forward, speeches from central bank leaders of Europe and the US will be the key as market players will be interested in hearing more upbeat comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell than his European Counterpart Christine Lagarde. It should, however, be noted that the bulls are likely to remain on the driver’s seat as developed economies are gradually overcoming the pandemic, more or less, while the Coinbase listing could also entertain the bulls.

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

GBP/USD stays weak near 1.2400 after UK Retail Sales data

GBP/USD stays weak near 1.2400 after UK Retail Sales data

GBP/USD stays vulnerable near 1.2400 early Friday, sitting at five-month troughs. The UK Retail Sales data came in mixed and added to the weakness in the pair. Risk-aversion on the Middle East escalation keeps the pair on the back foot. 

GBP/USD News

EUR/USD extends its downside below 1.0650 on hawkish Fed remarks

EUR/USD extends its downside below 1.0650 on hawkish Fed remarks

The EUR/USD extends its downside around 1.0640 after retreating from weekly peaks of 1.0690 on Friday. The hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials provide some support to the US Dollar.

EUR/USD News

Gold: Middle East war fears spark fresh XAU/USD rally, will it sustain?

Gold: Middle East war fears spark fresh XAU/USD rally, will it sustain?

Gold price is trading close to $2,400 early Friday, reversing from a fresh five-day high reached at $2,418 earlier in the Asian session. Despite the pullback, Gold price remains on track to book the fifth weekly gain in a row.

Gold News

Bitcoin Price Outlook: All eyes on BTC as CNN calls halving the ‘World Cup for Bitcoin’

Bitcoin Price Outlook: All eyes on BTC as CNN calls halving the ‘World Cup for Bitcoin’

Bitcoin price remains the focus of traders and investors ahead of the halving, which is an important event expected to kick off the next bull market. Amid conflicting forecasts from analysts, an international media site has lauded the halving and what it means for the industry.   

Read more

Israel vs. Iran: Fear of escalation grips risk markets

Israel vs. Iran: Fear of escalation grips risk markets

Recent reports of an Israeli aerial bombardment targeting a key nuclear facility in central Isfahan have sparked a significant shift out of risk assets and into safe-haven investments. 

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures