Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Greece and its creditors are 'quite far apart' in debt negotiations
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) traded on both sides of breakeven, but an afternoon sell-off sent the index to its second straight loss. Again weighing on the blue-chip bellwether was the impasse between Greece and its international creditors, as the two sides ended another day of negotiations empty-handed. While talks will resume Saturday, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said, "We are very -- on a number of issues -- quite far apart. So it is going to be difficult." The standstill overshadowed a mostly positive round of domestic data, with weekly jobless claims coming in below forecasts and personal spending topping estimates.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
The
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA - 17,890.36) flirted with gains in the morning, but took a turn for the worse in the afternoon, ultimately dropping 75.7 points, or 0.4%, to end at a session low. Only five of the Dow's 30 components finished higher, paced by
UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s (NYSE:UNH) 2.7% advance. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) led the 25 blue-chip losers with a 1.6% drop.
The
S&P 500 Index (SPX - 2,102.31) slipped 6.3 points, or 0.3% -- but maintained its foothold atop the 2,100 level. The
Nasdaq Composite (COMP - 5,112.19) failed to touch a record high for the
first session in four, and ended on a loss of 10.2 points, or 0.2%.
The
CBOE Volatility Index (VIX - 14.01) added 0.8 point, or 5.7%, to settle above 14 for the first time this week.
CHART: RECAP EXCHANGES
5 Items on Our Radar Today:
- Consumer spending jumped 0.9% last month -- its biggest single-month increase since August 2009, and more than economists expected. Meanwhile, personal income rose as forecast, with a 0.5% uptick. (Business Insider)
- Weekly jobless claims rose less than anticipated last week, finishing at a seasonally adjusted 271,000. Also, the four-week moving average of first-time unemployment filings dipped to 273,750 -- its 16th consecutive week south of the critical 300,000 mark. (CNBC)
- This trio of stocks felt the effects of their recent turns in the earnings confessional.
- Bears cashed in as Molycorp Inc (NYSE:MCP) went belly-up.
- Whole Foods Market, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:WFM) pricing scandal has failed to spook bullish bettors.
Commodities:
Crude futures were down again, amid emerging concerns about a potential supply glut and despite UBS' upwardly revised 2015 forecast for Brent prices. Specifically, the August-dated contract gave back 57 cents, or nearly 1%, to settle at $59.70 per barrel.
Gold suffered its fifth straight daily loss, as fears of an impending Fed interest rate hike continue to outweigh uncertainty over a potential Greek default. By day's end, gold for August delivery was down $1.10, or 0.1%, at $1,171.80 per ounce.