Stocks Decline as Data Bolster Concern on Stimulus (Bloomberg)
Stocks fell today, undermining the seventh monthly gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, as better-than-forecast data on business activity and consumer confidence added concern that the Federal Reserve might scale back its stimulus. Investors are even predicting that there will be a slowdown for stocks this summer. “May will be the seventh month in a row where the S&P 500 has traded higher, and the markets are maybe looking for a reason to pause or consolidate,” Jim Russell, a senior equity strategist in Cincinnati at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, said. “We wouldn’t be surprised to see the market trade sideways to down in the weeks ahead on, call it, slow summer months, questions around Fed tightening and perhaps sluggish earnings growth in the second quarter.”
Dollar rallied by strong economic data (Reuters)
