U.S. Stock-Index Futures Decline on Chinese Trade Data
U.S. stock-index futures fell, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will trim its fifth straight weekly advance, as worse-than-forecast Chinese trade data added to evidence the global economy is slowing.
Yahoo (YHOO)! Inc., the biggest U.S. web portal, slid 4.1 percent in Europe after saying a strategy review may result in a reversal of plans to restructure operations and return billions of dollars to shareholders. Monster Beverage (MNST) Corp. declined 5.1 percent in German trading after saying an unspecified attorney general is investigating the company’s flagship drink.
S&P 500 futures expiring in September dropped 0.3 percent to 1,396.5 at 10:27 a.m. in London. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 39 points, or 0.3 percent, to 13,099.
The S&P 500 (SPX) rose for a fifth day yesterday, closing at the highest level since May 1. The index is trading above the average year-end forecast among Wall Street strategists of 1,389. About 72 percent of S&P 500 companies which reported second-quarter results so far have beaten analysts’ earnings estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
China’s export growth collapsed and imports and new yuan loans trailed estimates in July, reports today showed.
Outbound shipments increased 1 percent from a year earlier and imports rose 4.7 percent, the customs bureau said. The growth in July exports compared with the 8 percent median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey and 11.3 percent in June. Analysts estimated a 7 percent gain in imports after a 6.3 percent increase in June.
New Lending
China’s new local-currency lending was 540.1 billion yuan ($85 billion), lower than all 30 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey, after 919.8 billion yuan in June.
Reports yesterday showed China’s industrial-output growth unexpectedly slowed to a three-year low and inflation cooled in July, while investment and retail sales missed estimates.
Yahoo fell 4.1 percent to $15.35 in German trading. Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer has embarked on a strategy review that could mean the company alters plans to return to shareholders the proceeds from the sale of Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Yahoo said late yesterday in a regulatory filing.
Monster Beverage, the largest U.S. energy drink maker by volume sales, slid 5.1 percent to $58.06 in German trading after the Corona, California-based company disclosed in a regulatory filing that an attorney general sent a subpoena in July. The investigation, which also is looking into advertising, marketing and promotions, is in an early stage.
Monster Beverage
“It is unknown what, if any, action the state attorney general may take against the company,” Monster Beverage said in the filing, adding that it can’t assess what kind of financial or operational impact it may have.
Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) climbed 3.9 percent to $8.10 in early U.S. trading as two people familiar with the situation said the company’s enterprise-services unit has attracted the interest of International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) No party has shown interest in buying all of RIM or the division that makes its phones and no talks are currently under way, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the matter is private.
