Update: Equities Drop to Lowest in More Than 2 Weeks as Yields Rise
(Updates with market moves at the end of the day, and other changes, if any.)US equity indexes dropped to their lowest levels in more than two weeks on Thursday as bond yields rose despite the Treasury Department's intervention in the bond market.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.3% to 52,759.21, its lowest close since July 31. The Nasdaq Composite shed 1% to 26,067.17, while the S&P 500 lost 0.9% to 7,641.16 -- both logging their lowest finish since Aug. 3.Except energy and real estate, all sectors ended in the red, led by consumer staples and healthcare.US Treasury yields were higher, with the 10-year yield up 4.9 basis points at 4.7% and the two-year yield rising 0.6 basis point to 4.19%. The 30-year rate advanced 5.5 basis points to 5.25%.The Treasury Department said Wednesday it will at least double the size of its buybacks for longer-dated Treasuries, to $4 billion per operation. The announcement eased pressure on long-term yields that day.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Thursday that the buybacks could be worth more than $4 billion per issue."The $4 billion size of the buybacks is vanishingly small relative to the size of the US treasury market but is a loud symbolic signal that the Treasury does not want higher yields," Saxo Bank said in a report Thursday. "Shaping the yield curve and buying treasuries is normally a policy area for the (Federal Reserve), so it sets up an interesting tension with Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who will speak at next week's Fed symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming."US government debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, multiple outlets reported Wednesday, citing Treasury Department data.West Texas Intermediate crude oil climbed 2.3% to $87.83 a barrel in Thursday late-afternoon trade, while Brent rose 2.1% to $93.51.US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened "economic warfare" against Iran, announcing economic consequences for countries that seek to provide any form of support to Tehran.A 60-day ceasefire between the two countries expired Monday.In corporate news, Walmart (WMT) shares slumped 9.2%, the worst performer on the Dow and the second-biggest fall on the S&P 500, after the retail giant issued third-quarter earnings guidance below analysts' expectations.Nordson (NDSN) jumped 8%, the best performer on the S&P 500, after lifting its fiscal 2026 outlook.Deere's (DE) shares advanced 6.9%, the third-biggest gain on the S&P 500, after the company raised the lower ends of its net income and cash flow guidance ranges, citing a strong fourth-quarter order book.Shares of Moderna (MRNA) slid about 24%, the steepest drop on the S&P 500, following a 177% jump at the close of the previous trading session. The drugmaker and Merck (MRK) announced positive topline results from a late-stage trial of an experimental skin cancer treatment on Wednesday.Spot gold ticked up 0.2% to $4,523 per troy ounce, while silver rose 3.8% to $69.09 per ounce.
