S&P 500 Snaps Losing Streak            03/21 16:18

   Technology companies powered a broad rally for U.S. stocks Thursday, 
snapping the market's two-day losing streak.

   (AP) -- Technology companies powered a broad rally for U.S. stocks Thursday, 
snapping the market's two-day losing streak.

   Apple and chipmakers led the wave of buying, helping to drive the technology 
sector to an overall gain of 2.5 percent. The sector is up 21.1 percent this 
year so far, well ahead of the S&P 500's 10 other sectors.

   Retailers and industrial companies also notched solid gains, which easily 
offset losses in financial stocks.

   Levi Strauss soared as the storied jeans maker went public for the second 
time. 


   The latest gains erased the market's modest losses from a day earlier, when 
the Federal Reserve said it expected the U.S. economy to slow down and that it 
no longer expected to raise interest rates this year.

   While investors appeared to be circumspect about the central bank's economic 
outlook, any concerns seemed to take a backseat Thursday to the likelihood that 
the Fed will hold off on raising interest rates.

   "Overall, stocks are rallying because interest rates have gone down and we 
know that the Fed is going to continue to be the market's friend," said Karyn 
Cavanaugh, senior markets strategist at Voya Investment Management. "There's 
absolutely no reason not to be in stocks when you have an incredibly dovish Fed 
that is going to support asset prices."

   The S&P 500 index rose 30.65 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,854.88. The Dow 
Jones Industrial Average gained 216.84 points, or 0.8 percent, to 25,962.51

   The Nasdaq composite, which his heavily weighted with technology stocks, 
climbed 109.99 points, or 1.4 percent, to 7,838.96. The Russell 2000 index of 
smaller-company stocks picked up 19.25 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,562.41.

   Major European stock indexes finished mostly lower. 


   Despite a couple of downbeat days, the S&P 500 is closing in on its second 
straight weekly gain. The benchmark index is up 13.9 percent so far in 2019. 
That's better than the full-year gains for the benchmark index in four of the 
past five years.

   Thursday's rally came as investors weighed the latest batch of company 
earnings reports and some key analyst stock upgrades.

   Apple climbed 3.7 percent after analysts at Needham & Co. upgraded the 
technology giant's stock to a strong "Buy," saying the company's new services 
initiatives could attract new users. The company has made several product 
announcements this week and has an event scheduled next Monday where presumably 
more announcements will be made.

   Chipmakers gained after Micron Technology issued a strong outlook for the 
year. The company jumped 9.6 percent after the its forecasts for the fourth 
quarter topped Wall Street's estimates and said it expects the memory chip 
market to recover in the second half of the year.

   The upbeat forecast helped lift some of its peers. Nvidia rose 5.5 percent 
and Advanced Micro Devices climbed 8.5 percent.

   Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants gained 6.9 percent after it reported 
earnings that were far better than analysts were expecting. Darden also raised 
its own profit forecast for the year.

   Conagra Brands vaulted 12.8 percent after the packaged food company beat 
third-quarter profit forecasts on higher prices for some of its products.

   Levi Strauss soared after its IPO hit the market for the second time the 
brand's 166-year history. The company previously went public in 1971, but the 
namesake founder's descendants took it private again in 1985.

   The stock jumped 31.8 percent Thursday from its offering price of $17. 


   The strong demand for shares in Levi, which owns the Dockers and Denizen 
brands, is a good sign for other companies eyeing an IPO this year, said Erik 
Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

   "It does bode well, particularly since it's an IPO for a non-tech firm, it 
probably speaks well of the overall market conditions and investor sentiment," 
he said.

   Traders were not as keen on rival clothing brand Guess. The company gave a 
disappointing fourth-quarter report and forecast, which sent its shares 12.5 
percent lower.

   Drugmaker Biogen also slumped on news that the company stopped a trial for 
an Alzheimer's drug. The biotechnology giant and its partner determined that 
the drug would likely be ineffective.

   The company's shares plunged 29.2 percent as it lost more than $17 billion 
in market value.

   Financial stocks finished broadly lower for the second straight day, hurt by 
the prospects for lower interest rates. Fifth Third Bankcorp led the slide, 
dropping 3.7 percent.

   "Financials are lagging because interest rates are down, so the yield curve 
is not their friend right now," Cavanaugh said.

   Banks slumped Wednesday after the Fed's outlook for interest rates this year 
triggered one of the biggest slides for Treasury yields in months.

   Bond prices held steady Thursday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 
unchanged at 2.53 percent.

   Energy futures prices finished mixed. Benchmark U.S. crude slid 0.4 percent 
to settle at $59.98 a barrel. Brent crude fell 0.9 percent to close at $67.86 a 
barrel.

   Wholesale gasoline added 0.2 percent to $1.92 a gallon, heating oil dropped 
1 percent to $1.99 a gallon and natural gas was little changed at $2.82 per 
1,000 cubic feet.

   The dollar rose to 110.79 yen from 110.61 Japanese yen on Wednesday. The 
euro weakened to $1.1354 from $1.1446.

   Gold gained 0.4 percent to $1,307.30 an ounce, silver added 0.8 percent to 
$15.44 an ounce and copper gave up 0.5 percent to $2.91 a pound. 


(BE)