Consumer staples.SPLRCS and utilities.SPLRCU indexes were flat.
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Full speed on earnings: Cigna Corp.(CI) kicked off another busy day of corporate results, sliding 4.3% after the health care insurer significantly missed on earnings.
“This remains supportive for equities”, Mr Boubouras said.
On Wednesday the Federal Reserve cited persistently weak inflation in its decision to hold off on raising interest rates. The European Central Bank last week said it would be ready, willing and able to act if needed.
Housing data that showed the biggest gain in new-home sales in eight years bolstered optimism in the economy and raised the spectre that the Fed may strike a more hawkish tone on rates after its two-day meeting.
Nearly a third of the way into second-quarter reports, S&P 500 companies overall are expected to see earnings dip 3.5 per cent, not as bad as the 4.5 per cent dip predicted at the start of the month, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Shares in Yahoo Inc. Stocks in the materials and sector also fell 0.1%.
Trading Tuesday was volatile in volume in line with the 30-day average. Both indexes are looking at monthly gains of about 3%, though they are on track to finish the week modestly lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) jumped at the open, thanks to earnings beats from Dow stocks Apple Inc.
The BOJ’s moves fell short of market expectations, as it made no changes to interest rates or to its bond-buying program.
The energy group retreated 0.9 percent. A preliminary report also showed that wholesale inventories remained unchanged in June compared to the previous month, when inventories rose 0.1 percent.
Turkey’s lira climbed 1.1%, the most among 31 major currencies. However, the central bank left the door open to a 2016 rate hike by indicating that “near-term risks to the economic outlook have diminished”. The Malaysian ringgit weakened for a sixth straight day, losing 0.2 %.
Energy shares took a hit after oil prices fell 2 percent. The active rig count has risen in each of the past four weeks. Silver retreated 0.9%, while palladium declined 1.1%.
Treasury yields were as follows: The yield on the 2-Year Note was 0.73 percent.
By mid-morning, the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 35.71 points, or 0.25 per cent, at 14,533.81.
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United Kingdom mortgage approvals declined to a one-year low in June, the Bank of England reported, with the number of mortgages approved falling to 64,766 in June from 66,722 in May.
