NEW YORK (AP) Stocks fell in early morning trading Friday as
the dollar continued to strengthen, and after a week of mixed
economic reports.
Overseas markets declined. European Central Bank President
Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB plans to start pulling back some
of its stimulus programs as the economy begins to recover.
With little U.S. economic news to help sway the market Friday,
the dollar is again pressuring stocks. A strengthening dollar
drives down foreign demand for commodities, which are often traded
in dollars. It also can depress U.S. exports which become more
expensive as the dollar rises.
That can hurt the price of energy and materials stocks that are
closely tied to commodities and companies with large operations
overseas.
A disappointing earnings report from computer maker Dell Inc. is
also weighing on the market. Dell said after the market closed
Thursday that sales of its computers to big businesses remain
sluggish. Its quarterly revenue and profit missed analysts'
expectations.
As investors poured out of stocks, they moved into safer
investments like Treasury bonds. The yield on the three-month
T-bill, which moves opposite its price, is hovering near its lowest
level of the year, which it hit Thursday.
In early morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell
19.65, or 0.2 percent, to 10,312.79. The Standard & Poor's 500
index declined 3.62, or 0.3 percent, to 1,091.28, while the Nasdaq
composite index fell 36.32, or 1.7 percent, to 2,145.72.
The ICE Futures US dollar index, which measures the dollar
against other major currencies, rose 0.42 to 75.71.
The yield on the three-month T-bill was 0.02 percent after
falling as low as 0.005 percent late Thursday. The yield on the
benchmark 10-year note rose to 3.36 percent from 3.34 percent.
Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. said its fiscal fourth-quarter loss
narrowed as it took smaller write downs on its inventory. Even as
its losses shrank, revenue fell 42 percent as the housing market
remained unsteady.
''Investors seem to need a constant reassurance with where we
are in the economic recovery,'' said Brett D'Arcy, chief investment
officer at CBIZ Wealth Management Group in San Diego. ''We just
haven't gotten it in the past few days.''
D'Arcy expects stocks to continue to sell off Friday given the
disappointing economic data earlier this week.
Weak housing and mortgage data the past two days has helped
bring the market's nearly relentless rise to a halt amid concerns
any economic recovery will be slow and bumpy. On Thursday, the
Mortgage Bankers Association provided fresh evidence that the
housing market is still fragile. The trade group said more than 14
percent of homeowners with a mortgage were behind in their payments
or facing foreclosure at the end of September.
Technology shares fell sharply after an analyst downgraded the
chip sector. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 1.7
percent. The Dow fell 0.9 percent, while the S&P declined 1.3
percent.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)