Gold prices add to record high amid fiscal, tariff concerns
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* Weekly jobless claims rise less than expected
* Powell to address WSJ conference at noon ET
* Futures: Dow up 0.1%, S&P and Nasdaq flat
(Adds comment, details; updates prices)
By Shashank Nayar and Medha Singh
March 4 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were set for
a muted open on Thursday as data showed a staggering recovery in
the labor market, while investors were cautious ahead of remarks
from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell amid a recent rise in
U.S. bond yields.
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's main indexes fell for the second straight day
on Wednesday as a spike in U.S. bond yields pressured
high-flying tech stocks while economy-linked financials, energy,
industrials outperformed on hopes of a new round of fiscal aid
and vaccinations.
"There is no question that sentiment is cautious as we are
in a slight corrective or pullback stage and with most indices
trading below their 52-week highs," said Peter Cardillo, chief
market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.
"It's a mix of yield pressure from the previous sessions,
coupled with investors holding back ahead of comments from the
Federal Reserve."
Powell is set to speak at a Wall Street Journal conference
at 12:05 p.m. ET (1705 GMT) where his comments will be
scrutinized for any hints of concern about last week's jump in
bond yields, in what will be his last outing before the Fed's
March 16-17 policy meeting. Ahead of Powell's remarks, the 10-year Treasury yields
US10YT=RR were at 1.477% but they held below last week's
one-year high of 1.614%.
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.
Microsoft Corp MSFT.O , Apple Inc AAPL.O and Amazon.com
Inc AMZN.O were flat to slightly lower before the bell.
At 8:40 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis 1YMcv1 were up 36 points, or
0.12%, S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were down 0.5 points, or 0.01%
and Nasdaq 100 E-minis NQcv1 were up 4.25 points, or 0.03%.
The S&P 500 is set to open below its 50-day moving average,
an indicator of short-term momentum that has proved to be a
support line in the recent days. The Nasdaq could wipe out
nearly all of its year-to-date gains.
The U.S. Senate is expected to begin debating President Joe
Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Thursday
after agreeing to phase out payments to higher-income Americans
in a compromise with moderate Democratic senators. Boeing Co BA.N rose about 1% as the United States and
Britain had agreed a four-month suspension of U.S. retaliatory
tariffs in a long-running row over aircraft subsidies to allow
negotiations to take place. Disney's DIS.N shares dropped 1% as it announced it will
close at least 60 Disney retail stores in North America this
year and about 20% of its worldwide total, as it revamps its
digital shopping platforms to focus on e-commerce.