Sector Update: Financial Stocks Decline Late Afternoon
Financial stocks were lower in late Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.6% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) down 0.3%.The Philadelphia Housing Index eased 0.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) shed 0.4%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was falling 1.3% to $73,401, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries decreased 2.6 basis points to 4.455%.In economic news, on a month-on-month basis, the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index slowed to 0.4% in April from 0.7% in the previous month, Bureau of Economic Analysis data showed Thursday. The Street expected 0.5%. The core PCE price index, which excludes the more volatile food and energy and is the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, grew by 0.2% versus March's 0.3%, also the consensus for April.US economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product, rose by 1.6% in Q1, revised lower from a 2.0% increase in the advance estimate. No revision was expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. GDP rose by 0.5% in Q4.New orders for US durable goods rose by 7.9% in April following a 1.3% increase in March, beating the 4.0% gain forecast in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In sector news, Grayscale has paused its IPO preparations due to unfavorable market conditions and is unlikely to resume the process before Q4, CoinDesk reported. The crypto asset manager filed confidentially for a US IPO last November, the report said.In corporate news, Robinhood (HOOD) shares jumped past 10% after it said the official Trump Accounts app is now available for download ahead of the tax-advantaged investment accounts' July 4 launch. Eligible US children born from 2025 to 2028 will qualify for a $1,000 initial contribution from the Treasury Department, the company said Thursday.UWM (UWMC) said Thursday it urged Two Harbors Investment (TWO) stockholders to vote against the proposed CrossCountry Mortgage merger following the second adjournment of Two Harbors' special meeting to vote on the transaction. UWM shares rose 1.4%, and Two Harbors was down 0.6%.MetLife (MET) and Ares Management (ARES) are at odds over restructuring of Eagle Football Group's debt, Bloomberg reported. Ares, which has provided more than $400 million in financing to Eagle Football, is trying loan restructuring while MetLife is being told to wait longer to get paid back, the report said. MetLife shares were down 1.5%, and Ares shed 0.3%.Apollo Global Management (APO) and other investment firms, including Angelo Gordon and Oaktree Capital, are facing a lawsuit from a rival creditor group alleging they planned illicit financing deals to take collateral from chemical manufacturer Trinseo, The Wall Street Journal reported. Apollo shares were down 1.8%.