In an unexpected twist, the fed chose one of their members speeches to adjust the tone of the future rate hike decisions. This, along with some news out of North Korea sent the Dow 30 down 392, the S&P 500 lower by 53, and the Nasdaq 100 lower by 133. Next week investors will have to digest this move today. There is no doubt now that the summer time is over and the markets are back to work!
Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) suffered a 2.32% decline today after government regulators hit the bank with $185 million in fines for illegal sales practices. Authorities say employees of the bank opened bank and credit card accounts for customers without their approval, sometimes generating fees for insufficient funds. The bank, which fired about 5,300 employees involved in the illegal activity, will also pay $5 million in refunds averaging $25 per customer. Investors responded by taking some risk off before the weekend.
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) caught the eye of traders again today as it sold off 2.24%. Apple announced that consumers who can't wait to get their hands on the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models could pre-order it starting today. However, the jet black version of the phone has already sold out and is on back order. The new iPhone 7 officially goes on sale next week.
Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH) shares enjoyed a nice 3.00% pop today right from the open as the home furnishing retailer delivered a beat on both its top and bottom lines for the second quarter. However, profit and a key sales metric fell from a year ago as the company continues to struggle with production problems and transitions from a promotional to a membership model. Investors still flocked to own shares.
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) lost 1.79% today after it was announced that it is being sued in the UK for $19-billion in damages for allegedly charging excessive swipe fees to stores, which then passed the higher costs to consumers. MasterCard has denied any wrongdoing, but investors still took the opportunity to close some positions.