US midday: Traders eyeing risk of Russian invasion
- Contradictory reports out of Ukraine
- NATO: Probability of Russian invasion high
- Stocks hold slightly higher
Dow Jones Industrials: 0.26%
Nasdaq Composite: 0.80%
S&P 500: 0.47%
US stocks were registering slight gains on Monday despite the somewhat contradictory news regarding Russia's intention to send a humanitarian convoy into Ukraine.
Also helping sentiment were dovish remarks from Federal Reserve vice chairman Stanley Fischer.
The Kremlin announced that it was planning to do so in co-ordination with the International Red Cross. However, over the weekend the international relief organisation had made it clear that no such understanding had been reached, according to reports.
Ukraine supports such an action only if it is a multilateral action. NATO, for its part, warned on Monday that Russia may invade Ukraine under the pretext of a humanitarian action.
In other geopolitical developments, Iraq's president on Monday asked Haider al-Abadi, the Shi'ite coalition's nominee for prime minister, to form a government.
The US have conducted three separate air strikes in the northern region of the country and, alongside Turkey and Britain, have also provided food and water supplies to more than 40,000 members of the Yazidi religious minority who are under the threat of Islamic State, formerly known as Isis, militants.
Remarks from Fischer were also supporting stocks after he suggested that monetary stimulus may still be needed to bolster the recovery.
He said that the US and wider global economic recoveries since the financial crisis have been "disappointing".
He added that while this may partly represent temporary factors, "it is also possible that the under-performance reflects a more structural, longer-term shift in the global economy".
In corporate news, deals website Priceline shares dropped after the firm said third-quarter adjusted earnings per share would be $19.60-21.10, below the $21.28 consensus estimate.
US buyout firm TPG Capital offered A$3.4bn for the world's second-biggest listed winemaker Treasury Wine Estates, based in Australia.
From a sector standpoint the best performance was to be seen in the following industrial groups: pipelines (2.85%), platinum and precious metals (2.3%) and travel and tourism (2.3%).
Crude futures edge higher
The 10-year Treasury yield was flat at 2.42%.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 0.44% to $98.11 per barrel on the NYMEX.
S&P 500 - Risers
E*TRADE Financial Corp. (ETFC) $21.57 +4.86%
F5 Networks Inc. (FFIV) $117.21 +4.21%
Quanta Services Inc. (PWR) $34.96 +3.52%
Sysco Corp. (SYY) $37.45 +3.25%
Fossil Group Inc (FOSL) $103.39 +2.88%
Adt Corp (ADT) $36.50 +2.82%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) $24.88 +2.73%
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (KRFT) $56.17 +2.72%
Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (WYN) $78.30 +2.58%
Twenty-First Century Fox Inc Class A (FOXA) $34.80 +2.47%
S&P 500 - Fallers
Allergan Inc. (AGN) $153.75 -1.96%
EQT Corp. (EQT) $93.97 -1.25%
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) $56.21 -1.22%
Tesoro Corp. (TSO) $62.54 -1.22%
Coach Inc. (COH) $36.28 -1.17%
Aetna Inc. (AET) $75.88 -1.12%
SCANA Corp. (SCG) $49.70 -1.00%
L Brands Inc (LB) $62.58 -0.98%
Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) $321.02 -0.94%
WellPoint Inc. (WLP) $107.59 -0.91%
Dow Jones I.A - Risers
Intel Corp. (INTC) $33.10 +1.30%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $25.35 +1.30%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $104.59 +1.27%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $87.91 +1.22%
General Electric Co. (GE) $25.97 +1.19%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $81.86 +1.12%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $39.78 +0.84%
Home Depot Inc. (HD) $82.99 +0.68%
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) $187.72 +0.58%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $56.88 +0.58%
Dow Jones I.A - Fallers
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) $98.99 -0.75%
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) $74.49 -0.24%
American Express Co. (AXP) $87.35 -0.14%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $172.03 -0.13%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $77.02 -0.05%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $56.32 -0.04%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $80.11 -0.01%
Nasdaq 100 - Risers
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) $259.93 +4.76%
F5 Networks Inc. (FFIV) $117.21 +4.21%
Illumina Inc. (ILMN) $163.85 +2.93%
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (KRFT) $56.17 +2.72%
Liberty Interactive Corp (LINTA) $27.95 +2.68%
Twenty-First Century Fox Inc Class A (FOXA) $34.80 +2.47%
Priceline Group Inc (PCLN) $1,312.56 +2.42%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $30.75 +2.36%
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $21.26 +2.09%
Netflix Inc. (NFLX) $454.65 +1.97%
Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) $321.02 -0.94%
Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $55.19 -0.88%
Keurig Green Mountain Inc (GMCR) $115.71 -0.58%
Mylan Inc. (MYL) $45.58 -0.58%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $85.93 -0.57%
Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) $118.10 -0.51%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $200.04 -0.34%
Sirius XM Holdings Inc (SIRI) $3.43 -0.29%
eBay Inc. (EBAY) $53.95 -0.26%
Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) $66.61 -0.21%
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