U.S. STOCKS WOBBLE IN EARLY TRADING

Stocks were listless in early trading Monday (Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Manila) after briefly approaching the record highs they reached a month ago, Damian J. Troise reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The quiet opening to the week follows several choppy weeks as investors continue to gauge the economy’s recovery and the risks of rising inflation. Wall Street faces a relatively light week of economic data, though investors will get more information on how much consumer prices rose last month.

The S&P 500 fell 0.2% as of 10:12 a.m. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 56 points, or 0.2%, to 34,699 and the Nasdaq fell 0.1%. The S&P 500 was essentially split between gainers and losers.

Health care companies made the strongest gains but were kept in check by a dip in banks. Treasury yields were stable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 1.57%. Crude oil prices were little changed.

Cruise line operators made some of the strongest gains after several companies announced or confirmed plans to start sailing again this summer. The industry essentially shut down during the virus pandemic. Norwegian Cruise Line rose 2.3% and Carnival rose 1.7%.

Corporate buyout plans moved several stocks. U.S. Concrete jumped 28% after construction materials company Vulcan Materials said it would buy the company. Design software company Autodesk fell 1.6% after announcing plans to pursue a buyout of Altium.

Investors will get another glimpse into the impact of inflation on Thursday with the Labor Department’s consumer price report for May. Prices on everything from food to clothes and housing have been rising as the economy recovers.

Investors and economists are concerned that a steep rise in prices could crimp the recovery and prompt the Federal Reserve to withdraw some of its support for the economy such as keeping interest rates ultra-low and buying bonds. Markets in Europe were mostly higher, while Asian markets were mixed.

WEEKLY FEATURE : PAL READY TO SOAR WITH PANDEMIC