Share

Netflix, China stimulus hopes help boost Wall Street

US stocks forged higher on Tuesday as investors fostered hope of Chinese tax cuts and Netflix raised subscription rates, lifting the tech sector.

Equities dipped briefly in mid-afternoon trading after the British parliament massively rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan, but stocks soon resumed their upward course.

The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a gain of 0.7% at 24 065.59 while the S&P 500 added 1.1% to settle at 2 610.30.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 1.7% to 7 023.83, finishing above the 7 000 mark for the first time since mid-December.

In Beijing, Chinese officials said they expected more "large-scale reductions" in taxes and fees this year, delighting investors - who have shuddered as economic data increasingly shows the world's second-largest economy has begun a sharp slowdown.

Healthcare giant UnitedHealth helped lead the Dow higher, rising 3.6% after better-than-expected quarterly results.

Meanwhile, streaming giant Netflix soared 6.6% after announcing price hikes, including raising the cost of its most popular monthly plan to $13 from $11.

The good mood helped lift the tech sector generally. Google-parent Alphabet and Microsoft each rose about 3%. Apple rose 2%.

Tom Cahill of Venture Wealth Management told AFP investors would warmly greet any economic stimulus in China.

But he said stocks were entering a "resistance zone" and would find it hard to rise much higher.

"Companies are having a hard time with earnings and expectations."

JP Morgan rose 0.7% despite reporting earnings that fell short of expectations, unlike Wells Fargo, which dropped 1.6% after announcing a 1.4% decline in quarterly earnings on lower revenues.

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
19.07
+0.5%
Rand - Pound
23.60
+1.0%
Rand - Euro
20.32
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.24
+0.5%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.4%
Platinum
943.20
-0.8%
Palladium
1,035.50
+0.6%
Gold
2,388.72
+0.4%
Silver
28.63
+1.4%
Brent Crude
87.11
-0.2%
Top 40
67,314
+0.2%
All Share
73,364
+0.1%
Resource 10
63,285
-0.0%
Industrial 25
98,701
+0.3%
Financial 15
15,499
+0.1%
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