All three major indexes have pivoted into the red
Stocks are mostly lower today, with the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite Index (IXIC) erasing early-morning gains as jobs data send Treasury yields higher, reigniting concerns about the Federal Reserve's upcoming rate-cut decisions. The Institute for Supply Management reported faster-than-expected growth in the U.S. services sector for December, signaling that inflation may be more persistent than anticipated.
Meanwhile, November's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS) showed 8.1 million job openings, higher than Wall Street's Forecasts. In response, the 10-year Treasury yield jumped nearly six basis points to 4.675%.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) stock is surging today and seeing a flurry of bullish options activity. MRNA was up 11.2% at $47.34 at last glance, extending its 13.8% one-week gain as investors flock to the vaccine name following the first bird-flu related death in the U.S. So far today, 108,000 calls have been exchanged-- volume that's eight times the amount typically seen at this point -- compared to just 18,000 puts. New positions are being bought to open at the two most active contracts, the weekly 1/10 47-strike call and January 55 call.
Shares of Aurora Innovation Inc (NASDAQ:AUR) are near the top of the Nasdaq this afternoon, up 28% at $8.32 at last glance and earlier hitting a two-year high of $9.83. The equity is getting a boost from a deal with Nvidia (NVDA) and Continental AG (CTTAF) to deploy its self-driving technology. Over the last 12 months, AUR is up 142%.
Excelerate Energy Inc (NYSE:EE) is underperforming today, last seen 10.5% lower to trade at $28.37 after JPMorgan Chase cut issued a downgrade to "underweight" from "neutral." The move is the latest in a string of U.S. lenders dropping the Net-Zero Banking Alliance -- the sector's biggest climate coalition -- amid rising political pressure in the U.S. Over the last month, EE is down 11%.