U.S. stock futures were little changed early Tuesday morning after the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 fell from record highs in regular trading on Monday amid concerns about a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dipped 12 points. S&P 500 futures were flat while Nasdaq 100 futures traded mildly higher.
During regular trading on Monday, the Dow fell 106.66 points to 35,101.85, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 traded down 0.1% at 4,432.35. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.16% to 14,860.18.
Energy stocks led the declines after oil prices fell 4% amid fears that a wave of Covid cases could lead to a demand slowdown. Recovery plays including Norwegian Cruise Line and United Airlines were down as well.
“Despite the delta variant surge in cases across the U.S., recent mobility data suggest that consumer spending should remain robust,” Jason Pride, chief investment officer of private wealth at Glenmede, said in a note Monday. “Weekly foot traffic data gathered by Placer.ai for sectors sensitive to COVID-19 such as hotels, dining, leisure, and fitness continues to increase to sit near or surpass prepandemic peaks. However, as summer comes closer to an end, any significant declines or changes to the narrative are worth watching.”
Treasury yields rose, however, following data released by the Labor Department that showed job openings jumped to 10.1 million for the month of June, versus the 9.1 million expected by economists.
Still, the labor market might be tighter than it appears, according to Natixis’ Joseph Lavorgna.
“The July employment report was solid confirming the spell of robust economic growth and the 2021 boom,” he said in a note. “While the job market is still far away from a couple of key pre-pandemic benchmarks, recent data suggest there is much less labor slack than what is implied by the unemployment rate. If worker shortages persist, wages will be poised to rise further, and even more government spending will serve as an additional accelerant.”
The price of bitcoin Monday jumped 5%, its highest price since May. Gold recovered most of its losses from its overnight flash crash.
AMC‘s stock jumped 6.7% after releasing its earnings report Monday after hours, reporting a lower loss than expected. The company also announced it would begin accepting bitcoin at all U.S. locations this year.
Shares of The RealReal fell 5% in extended trading after reporting a quarterly loss, bringing Poshmark and ThredUp, which are set to report earnings Tuesday, down with it.
Earnings season continues Tuesday, with Coinbase set to report. Its stock, which trades closely with the price of bitcoin, rose 8% Tuesday. SoftBank and Sysco are also set to report.
Investors await the consumer price index and producer price index data, both of which measure inflation and are scheduled to come out Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. A handful of central bank speakers, including Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and Kansas City Fed President Esther George, are also expected this week. Investors will be listening for clues on how the Fed is approaching dialing back its bond purchases.
