REFILE-US STOCKS-Wall Street slips as inflation jitters spark broad sell-off

(Adds word "announced" in paragraph 17)
* Simon Property drops on bleak outlook
* Boeing 737 MAX deliveries drop due to electrical problem
* Labor shortage fuels wage inflation worries
* Indexes down: Dow 1.31%, S&P 0.81%, Nasdaq 0.04%

By Stephen Culp
NEW YORK, May 11 (Reuters) - Wall Street lost ground on
Tuesday as rising commodity prices and labor shortages fueled
fears that, despite reassurances from the U.S. Federal Reserve,
near-term price spikes could translate into longer-term
inflation.
By late afternoon the indexes were off their session lows,
but the sell-off was fairly evenly dispersed across the sectors.
Economic data released on Tuesday from the Labor Department
showed job openings at U.S. companies jumped to a record high in
March, further evidence of the labor shortage hinted by Friday's
disappointing employment report. The report suggests labor supply is not keeping up with
surging demand as employers scramble to find qualified workers.
Burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG.N announced it
would hike the average hourly wage of its workers to $15, a
further sign that the worker shortage in the face of a demand
revival could add fuel to the inflation surge. That worker shortage, along with a supply drought in the
face of booming demand could contribute to what is seen as
inevitable prices spikes, which the U.S. Federal Reserve has
repeatedly said are unlikely to translate into long-term
inflation.
"The market is beginning to debate whether or not the Fed is
right on inflation," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist
at Spartan Capital Securities in New York. "Will this be more
than transitory? That's what the market is beginning to
discount."
Market participants will scrutinize the Labor Department's
CPI report, due early Wednesday, for further signs of potential
inflationary pressures. (Graphic on inflation) https://tmsnrt.rs/2SxpkST
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 456.51 points,
or 1.31%, to 34,286.31, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 33.76 points, or
0.81%, to 4,154.67 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 5.58
points, or 0.04%, to 13,396.28.
All 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 were in negative
territory, with energy stocks .SPNY suffering the largest
percentage loss.
The CBOE Volatility index .VIX , a measure of investor
anxiety, touched its highest level in two months.
First-quarter reporting season, which is providing the first
year-on-year comparison to pandemic-related shutdowns, is
approaching the finish line with 451 constituents of the S&P 500
having reported. Of those, 86.9% have beaten consensus
expectations, according to Refinitiv IBES.
Analysts now see first-quarter S&P earnings growth of 50.5%
year on year, up substantially from the 16% growth forecast at
the beginning of the year, per Refinitiv.
Boeing Co BA.N was down 1.6% after the planemaker
announced deliveries of its 737 MAX fell to just four planes in
April due to an electrical problem. Tesla Inc TSLA.O continued its slide, dropping 1.2%
following the electric automaker's decision to expand its
Shanghai plant owing to heightened U.S.-China tensions.
Mall REIT Simon Property Group Inc SPG.N fell 2.3% after
the company said it does not expect a return to 2019 occupancy
levels until next year or 2023. L Brands Inc LB.N announced it will split into two
publicly traded companies, Bath & Body Works and Victoria's
Secret. Its stock dropped 3.3%. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a
2.99-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.48-to-1 ratio favored decliners.
The S&P 500 posted five new 52-week highs and one new low;
the Nasdaq Composite recorded 18 new highs and 216 new lows.

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