Share

US stocks finish lower as GoPro soars

New York - US stocks on Thursday finished modestly lower following disappointing economic data, even as shares for video camera maker GoPro soared in their first day of trade.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 21.38 points (0.13%) at 16 846.13.

The broad-based S&P 500 dipped 2.31 (0.12%) to 1 957.22, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index edged down 0.71 (0.02%) to 4 379.05.

US consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, rose a mere 0.2% in May after a flat April.

The report put markets in a sour mood, pushing the S&P 500 as low as 1 944.69 early in the session.

The rally in the afternoon is characteristic of "a very complacent bullish environment", said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities.

"You have to be invested. You can't let the market keep going and not be in it."

GoPro, which makes small video equipment popular among users of social media, jumped 30.6% on the Nasdaq from its initial public offering price of $24 to close at $31.34.

Microblogging company Twitter gained 5.0%.

Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond sank 7.2% as it projected second-quarter earnings of $1.08-$1.16 per share, below the $1.20 seen by analysts.

Consultancy Accenture lost 1.8% as it trimmed its 2014 profit forecast from $4.50-$4.62/share to $4.50-$4.54.

Tobacco company Philip Morris dropped 2.7% as it slashed its 2014 earnings forecast, citing major price discounting at "the low end" of the Australian market and "an improving but weak macro-economic environment in the EU" among other factors.

Aluminum producer Alcoa gained 2.7% after announcing a $2.9bn purchase of Firth Rixson, a British manufacturer of aerospace jet engine components. Alcoa said the deal would boost its ability to win additional business in the aerospace sector.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury fell to 2.53% from 2.56% on Wednesday, while the 30-year dropped to 3.34% from 3.38%. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.01
+0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.78
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.44
-0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.3%
Platinum
931.40
+0.6%
Palladium
994.00
+0.4%
Gold
2,334.95
+0.1%
Silver
27.51
+0.3%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
68,437
0.0%
All Share
74,329
0.0%
Resource 10
62,119
0.0%
Industrial 25
102,531
0.0%
Financial 15
15,802
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders