Investing.com – The S&P 500 closed lower for the second-straight session as tech continued its wobble despite a jump in tech heavyweight Alphabet, a day ahead of key inflation data.
At 4:00 p.m. ET (21:00 GMT), the fell 142 points, or 0.3%, while the index fell 0.3% and the fell 0.2%.
Oracle pressures tech sector, but Alphabet shines
Oracle (NYSE:) tumbled over 6%, pressuring the broader tech sector after the cloud firm fiscal Q2 earnings missed lofty street estimates, amid increased competition in the sector.
Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:) was a bright spot in tech, climbing more than 5% after launching its Willow quantum chip.
CPI data awaited for more rate cues
The focus this week is squarely on US inflation data, due on Wednesday, which could influence the Federal Reserve at its monetary policy meeting later this month.
is expected to increase slightly to 2.7% from 2.6% year-on-year, while , which excludes volatile food and energy items, is expected to remain at 3.3%.
While inflation had fallen steadily earlier in 2024, it turned more sticky in recent months amid resilience in the US economy, sparking some uncertainty over the outlook for interest rates.
Markets are still holding out for a by the Federal Reserve next week. But the longer-term outlook for rates has now turned more uncertain, with expectations of inflationary policies under incoming President Donald Trump adding to the mix.
Eli Lilly slips despite buyback, dividend hike; Alaska soars on guidance; JPMorgan ends lower despite upbeat guidance
Eli Lilly (NYSE:) stock ended just below the flatline after the drugmaker announced a new $15 billion share buyback and hiked its dividend.
Alaska Air (NYSE:) stock rose 13% after the carrier raised its fourth-quarter profit forecast, owing to robust travel demand and improved pricing. The airline also provided full-year 2025 earnings guidance that topped Wall Street estimates.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:) closed lower even as the investment bank forecast better-than-expected net interest income for Q4 and the year ahead.
(Peter Nurse, Ambar Warrick contribued to this article.)
