By Wallace Witkowski, MarketWatch , Ryan Vlastelica
Nasdaq closes at record high
U.S. stocks rallied to finish higher Monday, with major indexes
advancing more than 1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq scoring a record
high close following a strong showing by centrist Emmanuel Macron
in the French presidential election, which averted fears of a
euroskeptic-only runoff.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 216.13 points, or 1.1%,
to close at 20,763.89, led by a 3.5% surge in shares of J.P. Morgan
Chase & Co.(JPM) and a 2.9% jump in Goldman Sachs Group
Inc.(GS)
The S&P 500 surged 25.46 points, or 1.1%, to 2,374.15, with
nine of the index's 11 sectors trading higher, led by a 2.2% gain
in financials, its biggest one-day pop since March 1, and a 1.3%
rise in both industrial and tech stocks. The biggest laggard on the
session was real estate, which lost 0.9%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 73.30 points, or 1.2%, to
a record close at 5,983.82, after reaching an all-time high of
5,989.92 earlier in the session.
Read:After 17 years S&P 500 tech sector finally regains lost
ground
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/after-17-years-sp-500-tech-sector-finally-regains-lost-ground-2017-04-24)
Perceived safe-haven assets like gold, the Japanese yen, and
U.S. Treasurys all fell on the day. In a manifestation of relief,
the CBOE Volatility Index , or VIX, often known as Wall Street's
"fear gauge," dropped more than 25% to below 11, its largest
one-day percentage drop since August 9, 2011.
See:VIX 'fear gauge' plummets as French election results spark
global relief rally
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/vix-fear-gauge-plummets-as-french-election-results-spark-global-relief-rally-2017-04-24)
Macron led the field in the first round of the French
presidential election on Sunday with 23.9% of the vote, ahead of
far-right euroskeptic candidate Marine Le Pen with 21.4%. The two
will now face off in the final round May 7. A poll late Sunday from
Ipsos/Sopra Steria showed Macron leading Le Pen, 62% to 38%.
Read:4 things investors need to know about France's presidential
runoff
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/4-things-investors-need-to-know-about-frances-presidential-runoff-2017-04-23)
Macron advancing to the runoff gave investors an opportunity to
cross another market overhang off their list of fears, said Karyn
Cavanaugh, senior market strategist at Voya Financial. Cavanaugh,
however, believes that many of those fears are "much ado about
nothing."
"Investors have been using fear to make decisions," Cavanaugh
said in an interview. "Until something happens to materially affect
earnings, you can't let geopolitics cloud your outlook."
Conservative François Fillon and Socialist Benoît Hamon -- the
mainstream candidates defeated in the first round -- both threw
their support behind Macron. Their support is seen as fending off
nationalist Le Pen, who has called for scrapping the euro and
exiting the European Union, a prospect seen as hugely destabilizing
for the region.
"Her radical views on immigration, the European Union and the
euro should see a solid resistance from the majority of the
population," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at LCG,
in a note to clients.
European stocks surged
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/french-stocks-head-for-2-year-high-after-macron-win-eases-frexit-fears-2017-04-24),
with the French CAC 40 ending at a two-year high. The Stoxx Europe
600 index leapt 2.1%, and Germany's DAX 30 index climbed 3.4%. The
euro gained
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/euro-jumps-to-5-month-high-in-french-election-relief-rally-2017-04-24)
1.4% against the dollar , hovering at five-month highs. The iShares
MSCI France ETF (EWQ) surged 5.8% in its biggest one-day advance
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/france-etf-has-biggest-one-day-pop-since-2012-on-election-relief-2017-04-24)
since August 2012.
The Nikkei 225 rose nearly 1.4%, as investors backed away from
perceived havens such as the Japanese yen. The dollar shot to over
Yen110 from a level of Yen109 late Friday in New York.
Read:Opinion: The stock market's jump on the French election is
more than a relief rally
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-stock-markets-jump-on-the-french-election-is-more-than-a-relief-rally-2017-04-24)
Another haven asset, gold , tumbled $11.60, or 0.9%, to settle
at $1,277.50 an ounce
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-futures-drop-as-macron-election-win-hits-safety-plays-2017-04-24).
Gold prices climbed Friday amid investor uncertainty ahead of the
French election.
Yields for the 10-year Treasury jumped to 2.27% from 2.23% late
Friday. The closely watched yield premium that investors demand to
hold 10-year French bonds, also known as OATs, over benchmark
German government bonds narrowed to 41.40 basis points
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/french-bond-spread-narrows-to-4-month-low-as-frexit-fears-abate-2017-04-24)
after widening to around 75 basis points, or 0.75 percentage point,
ahead of the first round.
Anticipating a U.S. tax plan: Investors were also waiting to
hear more about a "massive" U.S. tax package that President Donald
Trump said is coming this week, which could revive the so-called
"Trump trade" that started after his election in November, and
which came on hopes that policies seen as pro-growth would swiftly
pass Congress.
Trump tweeted on Saturday
(https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/855817226078879748)
that he would announce a big tax-reform package on Wednesday. Wall
Street stocks pared losses Friday after Trump told the Associated
Press he would unveil a "massive tax-cut" package in the coming
week.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the plan
would focus on middle-incomes and "pay for itself"
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mnuchin-says-tax-plan-will-pay-for-itself-with-economic-growth-2017-04-24)
through economic growth.
Read: Trump's tax reform may rekindle the dying embers of the
stock-market rally
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-tax-reform-may-rekindle-the-dying-embers-of-the-stock-market-rally-2017-04-22)
"It could again be a make-or-break outcome for the U.S. markets,
given that Mr. Trump often failed to provide satisfactory details
on his 'massive' plans during his first 100 days at the office,"
said Ozkardeskaya, in a note.
For some, that could be more on the "make" side for stocks.
"There were fears that the recent knockback on health-care reforms
may have stopped Trump in his tracks, yet this week's announcement
will put the bulls in the driving seat even when the French
feel-good factor has faded," said Joshua Mahony, market analyst at
IG, in a note to clients.
See:This is where the stock market bears will make their last
stand
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-where-the-stock-market-bears-will-make-their-last-stand-2017-04-21)
Stocks:Hasbro Inc.(HAS) shares finished up 5.9% after profit and
sales surpassed expectations
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hasbros-stock-surges-after-profit-and-sales-rise-above-expectations-2017-04-24).
Halliburton Co.(HAL) fell 0.7% after the energy services group
topped earnings estimates.
Whole Foods Market Inc.(WFM) shares closed up 2.1% following
reports that Albertsons is exploring a takeover
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/supermarket-chain-albertsons-exploring-takeover-of-whole-foods-ft-2017-04-24)
of the high-end grocery chain.
Shares of C.R. Bard Inc.(BCR) closed up nearly 20% after Becton
Dickinson & Co.(BDX) said it would acquire the medical-supplies
maker
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/becton-dickinson-buying-cr-bard-in-24-billion-medical-supply-merger-2017-04-23).
Becton shares slid 4.4%.
Shares of Akari Therapeutics(AKTX) plummeted 15% after the
company gave mid-stage drug trial data.
Other markets: Oil prices slipped 0.8% to settle at $49.23 a
barrel, as pressure from supply fears remained
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-futures-rebound-from-last-weeks-slide-but-supply-pressure-remains-2017-04-24).
Stocks rose across Asia, with the exception of the Shanghai
Composite Index , which fell around 1.5% as investors fretted about
potential government action to cool the markets.
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-rally-after-french-election-results-2017-04-23)
--Barbara Kollmeyer in Madrid contributed to this report.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 24, 2017 16:34 ET (20:34 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.