The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 1%, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) turned positive heading into the close after lagging behind the other indexes for much of the session. Treasury yields held steady following their steepest one-day decline Thursday in more than a decade.
A reversal in China’s Zero-COVID policy to reduce the amount of time in quarantine travelers to the country spend buoyed sentiment in early trading. Oil markets advanced as traders speculated the move may stoke a boost to commodity demand, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures bouncing nearly 3% to above $88 per barrel.
Meanwhile on the economic data front, the University of Michigan’s preliminary reading on its consumer sentiment survey for Nov. fell to 54.7 from. 59.9 in October, the lowest since July.
All three major averages skyrocketed Thursday, each recording their largest one-day advances since a rebound from the throes of the COVID crash more than two years ago. Outsized moves were catalyzed by lighter October consumer price data that fueled bets the Federal Reserve may halt the tightening of financial conditions as soon as early next year. The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq soared 5.5%, 3.7% — or 1,200 points — and 7.4%, respectively.
“Overall, the report suggests that peak inflation may finally be behind us, though inflation may remain elevated for a while,” BNY Mellon Investment Management Head of U.S. Macro Sonia Meskin said in a note Thursday.
She noted that the figure supports the smaller 0.50% rate increase for December telegraphed at this month’s FOMC meeting, which investors are pricing in.
“However, it is also important to not over-emphasize one report for inflation and policy trajectory,” she added.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in October rose at an annual 7.7% and increased 0.4% over the month. On a “core” basis, which strips out the volatile food and energy components of the report, prices rose at a clip of 6.3% year-over-year and 0.3% on a monthly basis.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on November 2, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the moderation, many strategists assert that excitement is premature, with Federal Reserve officials still poised to tighten further after Chair Jerome Powell said last month that policymakers still have “some ways to go” on restoring price stability — a message that his central bank colleagues have since also echoed in a series of public speeches.
“The Fed’s extreme data dependence combined with the fact that economic data will only show the real-time labor market and inflation slowdown with a lag, increases the odds of an overtightening accident,” Gregory Daco, EY Parthenon chief economist, said in emailed comments.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Colas of DataTrek points out another reality: Although inflation trends lower once it peaks and starts to decline – as seen in 1970, 1974, 1980, 1990, 2001, and 2008 – that downshift typically comes with recessions, and there are no exceptions to the rule.
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
