Stock market today: Wall Street rebounds after Hong Kong stocks fall to worst day since 2008

The New York Stock Exchange, rear, is shown on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File) · Associated Press · (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In This Article:

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday after falling oil prices released some of the pressure that built up on the market.

The S&P 500 rallied 1% to claw back all of its loss from the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 126 points, or 0.3%, and likewise neared its record set last week, while the Nasdaq composite led the way with a 1.4% rally.

Wall Street held firm even though stock markets around the world sank following scary swings in China, as euphoria about possible stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy gave way to disappointment. Stocks tumbled 9.4% in Hong Kong for their worst day since the 2008 global financial crisis.

Helping to support Wall Street was a sharp drawdown in oil prices. They gave back some of the big recent gains they made on worries that worsening tensions in the Middle East could ultimately lead to disruptions in the flow of oil.

A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 4.6% to $77.18 for its first loss in a week and a half. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude, meanwhile, eased 4.6% to $73.57.

That also helped level off the pressure on the stock market from the bond market. Treasury yields eased a bit, a day after they shot to their highest levels since the summer.

The 10-year Treasury yield edged down to 4.02 from 4.03% late Monday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, slipped to 3.96% from 3.99%, late Monday, though it’s still near its highest level since August.

When Treasurys are paying higher yields, investors generally become less willing to pay very high prices for stocks and other investments. And Treasury yields had been storming higher over the last week following a suite of reports showing the U.S. economy remains healthier than expected.

Such reports, including one last week showing stronger hiring by U.S. employers than forecast, raise hopes that the economy will avoid a recession. But they also force traders to ratchet back expectations for how much the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by, now that it has widened its focus to include keeping the economy humming instead of just fighting high inflation.

Traders have abandoned expectations for the Fed to cut its main interest rate by a larger-than-usual half of a percentage point at its next meeting, for example. Instead, they’re largely betting on a traditional-sized cut of a quarter of a percentage point, according to data from CME Group. Some are even calling for the possibility the Fed could keep its main rate steady in November.