Dow drops 200 points as traders mull Biden's stimulus plan and soft retail-sales data

trader upset
  • US stocks sank on Friday as investors digested President-elect Joe Biden's stimulus plan and a December slump in retail sales.
  • Biden rolled out a $1.9 trillion relief proposal on Thursday that includes $1,400 direct payments, state and local government aid, and expanded unemployment benefits.
  • While Democrats' soft Senate majority increases the odds of a deal being passed, Republican opposition could strip the bill of some elements or push for higher taxes to offset its cost.
  • Retail sales shrank 0.7% in December as COVID-19 lockdowns cut into holiday-season spending, according to Census Bureau data published Friday. Economists expected sales to hold flat from November.
  • Watch major indexes update live here.

US equities fell on Friday amid a drop in retail sales and concerns that President-elect Joe Biden's stimulus proposal could lift taxes.

Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion fiscal relief plan on Thursday that includes $1,400 direct payments, expanded federal unemployment benefits, and state and local government aid. Democrats' victories in Georgia runoff elections greatly improve the party's chances at passing such a sweeping stimulus measure.

Yet GOP opposition could strip the bill of some components before its passage. Lawmakers could also call for higher taxes to justify the legislation's hefty price tag, a move that would surely rankle investors hoping for President Donald Trump's low tax rates to remain in place.

Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. ET open on Friday:

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"The very health of our nation is at stake," Biden said in a speech revealing the plan, adding that failure to pass a large-scale relief package "will cost us dearly."

Stocks extended losses after retail sales data showed a third-straight monthly decline to close out last year. Spending at US retailers contracted 0.7% in December as COVID-19 restrictions offset holiday-season sales, according to Census Bureau data published Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected sales to stay flat from the month prior.

November's reading was revised lower to a 1.4% contraction, suggesting surging coronavirus cases and lockdown measures swiftly cut into a V-shaped rebound in consumer spending.

"This likely is the nadir for retail sales, as the late-December stimulus and the pending stimulus under the Biden administration will boost both bank accounts and consumers' spirits," Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said.

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Fourth-quarter earnings kicked off with JPMorgan beating revenue and profit expectations. The bank reported a 42% jump in net income, bolstered by the release of $2.9 billion in loan-loss reserves.

Citigroup reported less-than-stellar results Friday morning. While the bank's revenue landed above estimates, weaker-than-expected performance in its fixed-income division contributed to a miss on quarterly earnings. The business reported revenue of $3.09 billion over the period, below the consensus expectation of $3.2 billion.

Bitcoin dropped below $38,000 as the cryptocurrency's volatile trading week came to a close. The token climbed back above $40,000 on Thursday but failed to retake the record highs seen one week ago.

Spot gold slid 0.5%, to $1,836.64 per ounce, at intraday lows. The US dollar strengthened against the majority of Group-of-10 currency peers and Treasury yields declined. 

Oil prices sank as the stronger dollar cut into its recent climb. West Texas Intermediate crude fell as much as 1.7%, to $52.68 per barrel. Brent crude, oil's international benchmark, dropped 1.9%, to $55.37 per barrel, at intraday lows.

Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest runs 5 active ETFs that more than doubled in 2020. She and her analysts share their 2021 outlooks on the economy, bitcoin, and Tesla.

Monetary stimulus will remain in place well into economic recovery, Fed Chair Powell says

US consumer comfort tumbles to lowest point since July as COVID-19 surge cuts further into recovery optimism

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