(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
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* Weekly jobless claims rise less than expected
* Nasdaq wipes out all gains in 2021
* Indexes: Dow -1.81%, S&P 500 -2.01%, Nasdaq -2.82%
(Updates with afternoon trading)
By Noel Randewich
March 4 (Reuters) - Wall Street slumped on Thursday, leaving
the Nasdaq down 10% from its February record high, after remarks
from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell disappointed investors
worried about rising longer-term U.S. bond yields.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield US10YT=RR spiked to
1.533% after Powell's comments, which did not point to changes
in the Fed's asset purchases to tackle the recent jump in
yields. It still held below last week's one-year high of 1.614%.
Some investors had expected the Fed might step up purchases
of long-term bonds, helping push down long-term interest rates.
"The market has been worried about the rise in long-term
interest rates and the Fed chairman in his commentary didn't
really push back towards this increase in rates and the market
took it as a signal that yields could rise further, which is
what has happened," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond
James in Florida.
Wall Street's fear gauge .VIX touched a near one-week high
at 28.16 points.
The Nasdaq wiped out all of its year-to-date gains and was
down about 10% from its record closing high on Feb. 12. If it
closes at these levels, it would confirm the Nasdaq is in a
correction.
In contrast, the Dow and S&P 500 have fallen about 5% from
their February record highs.
Data showed the number of Americans filing for jobless
benefits rose last week, likely boosted by brutal winter storms
in the densely populated South, though the labor market outlook
is improving amid declining new COVID-19 cases. The crucial monthly payrolls report is expected on Friday.
Wall Street has been under pressure in recent sessions as a
spike in U.S. bond yields pressured high-flying tech stocks.
Stocks expected to thrive as the economy reopens outperformed in
recent weeks due to expectations of a new round of fiscal aid
and vaccinations.
The energy sector .SPNY touched a one-year high on the
back of higher oil prices. O/R
Apple Inc AAPL.O , Tesla Inc TSLA.O and PayPal Holdings
Inc PYPL.O were among the top drags on the S&P 500.
Tech stocks are particularly sensitive to rising yields
because their value rests heavily on future earnings, which are
discounted more deeply when bond returns go up.
"Valuations are at the high end of historic ranges, so you
are seeing selling, especially in the higher valuation areas
like the Nasdaq and tech general," said Tim Ghriskey, chief
investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York.
In afternoon trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
.DJI was down 1.81% at 30,704.19 points, while the S&P 500
.SPX lost 2.01% to 3,742.99.
The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 2.82% to 12,631.74.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a
5.40-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 7.74-to-1 ratio favored decliners.
The S&P 500 posted 28 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the
Nasdaq Composite recorded 169 new highs and 144 new lows.
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