Stocks were expected to open somewhat higher Thursday, but investors still were jittery from another big sell-off the previous day.
Thursday's news headlines offered investors only a little relief. Cisco (CSCO) earnings disappointed investors, putting in doubt the recent rally in technology stocks. The credit crisis claimed more victims as AIG (AIG) and Morgan Stanley (MS) reported multi-billion-dollar write-offs -- though some investors may be relieved that those losses are now out in the open.
Ford (F), however, reported stronger-than-expected business results. Retailers and fast-food restaurants reported mixed October sales figures.
Traders will be watching Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as he testifies before Congress on Thursday, looking for hints on interest rate moves or insight into the banking system's problems with risky credit.
On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 360.92 points, or 2.64%, to 13,300.02. The broader S&P 500 index plunged 44.65 points, or 2.94%, to 1,475.62. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 76.42 points, or 2.71%, to 2,748.76.
Wednesday started on the wrong foot, with oil prices pushing near $100 per barrel and the dollar's value falling quickly. However, the major indexes tumbled late in the day on news that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was investigating large players in the mortgage business. It's the latest in a string of volatile sessions on Wall Street.
U.S. initial jobless claims, announced Thursday, showed a drop of 13,000 to 317,000 for the week ending Nov. 3. The results are better than expected but, with all eyes on Bernanke, the numbers shouldn't have much impact on the market, Action Economics says. Very little other economic data will be released Thursday.
Among stocks in the news Thursday, giant insurer American International Group, or AIG, said it will take a $2.68 billion hit to its assets, with losses coming from credit instruments. The firm reported earnings of $1.35 per share, vs. $1.53 a year ago. The stock was lower in pre-market trading.
Morgan Stanley said it took a $3.7 billion hit from subprime exposures in the last couple months. The news actually reassured investors, who sent the stock higher, because analysts had been predicting a hit of up to $6 billion. The losses are still a troubling sign because Morgan Stanley, unlike rival Merrill Lynch (MER), was not a big player in mortgage-backed securities.
Ford Motor reported a loss of just 1 cent per share, vs. a 45 cent loss a year ago as revenue rose 11%. The company says it is ahead on its 2007 plan, and expects substantial improvements in the next quarter's results. Ford also says it's still considering the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover, with an agreement by early next year.
Cisco Systems, however, whose investors are used to earnings that beat analysts' estimates by a wide mile, saw earnings of 37 cents per share, just one penny ahead of expectations, vs. 31 cents a year ago. Sales rose 17%, and Cisco says it expects sales growth of 16% next quarter.
Among a wide variety of stores reporting October sales figures, Target (TGT) saw same-store sales up 4.1% and total sales jumped 9.7%.
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), however, saw U.S. same-store sales rise 0.4%, not including fuel sales. Total sales were up 8.4%. The huge retailer expects November same-store sales to be flat to up 2%.
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) continues to sizzle, posting 5.4% higher same-restaurant sales in October and 6.9% higher same-store sales worldwide, with total global sales up 14%.
Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) reported earnings of $3.60 per share, vs. 31 cents a year ago, reflecting the sale of Putnam Investments in August. The firm's revenue rose 10%.
Toll Brothers (TOL) preliminarily reported home-building revenues fell 36% and backlog fell by the same amount.
European equity indexes were mixed on Thursday. In London, the FTSE 100 index edged up 0.17% to 6,396.2. Germany's DAX index rose 0.26% to 7,819.78. In Paris, the CAC 40 index declined 0.69% to 5,643.88.
Asian markets moved lower. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index dropped 2.02% to 15,771.57. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index lost 3.19% to 28,706.22. The Shanghai composite index fell 4.85% to 5,330.02.
Treasury Market
Treasury prices were falling Thursday as markets rebounded a bit from Wednesday's turmoil. The 2-year notes were off 01/32 to 100-04/32 for a yield of 3.568%, but 10-year notes rose 06/32 to 99-19/32 for a yield of 4.304%. The 30-year bond were down 02/32 to 105-20/32 for a yield of 4.651%.
European bonds moved higher after the Bank of England decided not to cut interest rates. The European Central Bank is also expected to hold rates steady.