Live Markets: Wall Street struggles for a modest bounce-back

Target

19/08/2026 15:09

S&P 500, Dow green; Nasdaq turns red; Russell 2000 up ~0.9%
Healthcare leads S&P 500 sector gainers; Tech down most
Euro STOXX 600 index unchanged
Dollar falls >0.5%; US crude, bitcoin both gain ~1%; gold rallies >3%
US 10-year Treasury yield falls to ~4.65%
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WALL STREET STRUGGLES FOR A MODEST BOUNCE-BACK
U.S. stocks took a swing at a tentative rebound in the early minutes of Wednesday's session as long-dated debt yields slid back from multi-year highs.
An initial rally turned mixed in the first half hour of trading, with tech pulling the Nasdaq into the red. The small-cap Russell 2000 .RUT is up more sharply than its larger-cap peers, rising 0.9%.
U.S. 30-year Treasury yields pulled back sharply from their highest level in 19 years after the U.S. Treasury announced it would double the size of liquidity support buybacks for long-dated bonds.
Fears of rising interest rates amid mounting sovereign debt and geopolitical uncertainty, which fueled Tuesday's selloff, appear to be easing.
Healthcare stocks .SPXHC led the gainers among the 11 major S&P 500 .SPX sectors, powered by a 120% surge in Moderna shares after its Merck-partnered MRK.N melanoma vaccine reduced the risk of recurrence in a large trial.
Among other winners, gold/silver stocks .XAU, homebuilders .SPCOMHOME and housing .HGX are well ahead of the pack, while aerospace/defense .SPCOMAED and chipmakers .SOX are laggards.
Two big-box retailers reported quarterly results before the bell.
Target TGT.N is up 4.9% after raising its annual sales forecast as its turnaround efforts bore fruit, while Lowe's LOW.N is managing to advance 3.6% even after saying it expects zero same-store sales growth due to consumer caution.
The S&P Retail index .SPXRT is up 0.8%.
Walmart WMT.O is expected to report tomorrow.
Here's where things stood as of 9:54 a.m. ET:
(Stephen Culp)
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EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:
BULLS LOOK FOR A BOUNCE AFTER S&P 500 PULLS BACK FROM RECORDS CLICK HERE
EUROPE'S STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES CLICK HERE 
COULD CHINA BE ABOUT TO TURN ON THE STIMULUS TAPS? CLICK HERE
EUROPEAN STOCKS NEAR UNCHANGED CLICK HERE
EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: STEADY START CLICK HERE
DANCING ROBOTS, DUMPING BONDS CLICK HERE
     

Opening snapshot https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-STOCKS/lbvgdewynpq/opener.png
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