Prospects for new stimulus bill, tensions with China and the pace of new coronavirus infections are weighing on the stock market.
Several investment and technology firms are exploring a potential deal for the U.S. operations of TikTok, which is facing a Trump administration ban, but each would have to surmount hurdles at least as high as the Chinese platform’s main suitor, Microsoft.
The collective market value of the top 10 companies in the S&P 500 has swelled to about $8 trillion, as investors have piled into big technology stocks including Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.
Heard on the Street
Traditionally seen as recession-proof, utilities have been underperforming the broader U.S. market in the current economic downturn. That may present a buying opportunity for investors harboring doubts about the latest bull market.
The recent surge in biotech stocks extends beyond IPOs, as investors chase companies working on potential vaccines to combat Covid-19. But some longtime investors are wary of the run-up and warn there are risks to chasing companies at early stages of development.1
Heard on the Street
Surging e-commerce sales at Target during the coronavirus pandemic should translate into a lasting advantage.
U.S. stocks have been the better bet for a decade. With those valuations now so high, the question is whether it makes sense to shift some exposure overseas.6
