NEW YORK: U.S. stocks are rising Thursday as technology companies and banks advance. European stocks are climbing after the European Central Bank said it will begin gradually reducing the bond purchases it’s been making to strengthen the regional economy. The market is regaining a chunk of the previous day’s losses following a round of improved company earnings, but drugmakers are skidding. KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 7 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,563 as of 2 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 97 points, or 0.4 percent, to 23,426. The Nasdaq composite rose 2 points to 6,566. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks added 4 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,498. BONDS: Bond prices edged lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.45 percent from 2.44 percent as yields and interest rates remained at seven-month highs. Banks had fallen with the rest of the market on Wednesday in spite of a jump in bond yields, but higher rates mean banks can make larger profits from mortgages and other lending. Wells Fargo rose 57 cents, or 1 percent, to $55.82 and Northern Trust gained $1.33, or 1.4 percent, to $96.09. JPMorgan Chase climbed $1.30, or 1.3 percent, to $102.32. I’M OK, EURO-K: Investors were pleased with the European Central Bank’s actions. The bank said it will cut its bond purchases in half, to 30 billion euros a month, starting in January. But it plans to continue making those purchases until at least September and could increase them again if the regional economy runs into trouble. France’s CAC-40 jumped 1.5 percent and the DAX in Germany gained 1.4 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.5 percent. The euro fell to $1.1670 from $1.1807 as investors think interest rates in Europe will stay lower for longer than they had expected. The weaker euro is good news for companies that export goods from Europe to other areas.
THE QUOTE: Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said investors were relieved the bank did not announce a bigger cut in bond purchases or take more aggressive steps. “The market was a little bit fearful that the ECB was going to be more hawkish,” he said. “That wasn’t the case.” Still, Wren said the ECB and the Federal Reserve might both end up raising interest rates further and faster than investors currently expect. Concerns about higher interest rates helped push stocks lower on Wednesday and Wren said the same fears could have a big effect on stocks in 2018. “The market should be worried about the Fed raising rates three times next year like they’ve hinted, even though the market hasn’t believed that,” he said. FRIGHTENING FORECAST: Drugmaker Celgene plunged after it reduced its forecasts for this year, partly because it expects weaker sales of its critically important new psoriasis treatment Otezla. Celgene also said it won’t meet its longer-term goals: it cut its profit and sales projections for the year 2020 as it anticipates weaker sales of new products and medications to treat cancer and inflammation. It now expects $19 billion to $20 billion in revenue that year, below its previous target of at least $21 billion. Celgene stock lost $23.30, or 19.5 percent, to $96.25. Bristol-Myers Squibb lost $2.83, or 4.4 percent, to $61.17 after it reduced its annual forecast. Competitor Amgen fell $1 to $176.50.
MATERIAL WORLD: Materials companies also climbed after a round of strong company results. Dow DuPont jumped $2.64, or 3.7 percent, to $73.73 and Air Products and Chemicals, which sells gases for industrial, medical and other uses, gained $5.95, or 3.8 percent, to $160.54. DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH: Prescription drug distributor McKesson surpassed analyst estimates in its fiscal second quarter and its stock climbed $6.46, or 4.3 percent, to $157.83. Competitor AmerisourceBergen rose $2.47, or 3 percent, to $84.69 and Cardinal Health advanced $1.49, or 2.2 percent, to $68.54. The stocks have struggled in the last few years as investors worry about lower prices for medications, particularly lower-cost generic drugs. CAN’T BULK UP: Nutritional supplement retailer GNC fell 99 cents, or 12.2 percent, to $7.13 after its quarterly results fell short of Wall Street projections. Weight loss company Nutrisystem gave up $6.17, or 10.6 percent, to $52.13. METALS: Gold gave up $9.40 to $1,269.60 an ounce. Silver fell 11 cents to $16.81 an ounce. Copper lost 1 cent to $3.18 a pound. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude added 24cents to $52.42 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 42 cents to $58.86 barrel in London. ASIA: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged 0.2 percent higher while South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.5 percent. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong slipped 0.4 percent. The dollar rose to 113.91 yen from 113.72 yen.
