Stocks fell on Thursday amid a sell-off of bank and other financial stocks as market participants grapple with the possibility of higher-for-longer interest rates. Investors also braced for February's key employment report due out Friday morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 500 points, while the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite lost 1.8% and 2%, respectively.
Here's how the market settled on Thursday:
S&P 500 Index
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Nasdaq Composite Index
Thursday's losses pulled the Dow to close below its 200-day moving average for the first time since November 9, bringing its year-to-date losses to 2.7%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq, however, are still positive for the year, up 2% and 8%, respectively.
Taking centerstage on Thursday, SVB Financial
These losses pulled the S&P 500 financial sector
Earlier in the session, investors were met with some encouraging labor market news, with initial filings for unemployment totaling a more-than-expected 211,000 for the week ended March 4, an increase of 21,000 from the previous period. This was the highest total of 2023.
Thursday's session follows two eventual days of testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, where he suggested the central bank will continue to raise rate higher than previously forecasted in response persistently high inflation.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on February's jobs report. Economists expect non-farm private payrolls to grow by 225,000 last month, far below January's stronger-than-expected print of 517,000. The U.S. unemployment rate is also expected to remain the same at 3.4%.