FedEx warning hits US stock prices
US stock prices have been checked by a warning from the huge package delivery company FedEx that its profits would be hurt because of a slowdown in the global economy.
FedEx cited weakness in its express package delivery business. That is a sign that FedEx’s customers around the world are choosing slower, cheaper delivery options to save money.
“It’s one more piece of news that suggests that the global economy is slowing and therefore makes central bank action more likely,” said Brian Gendreau, market strategist at the investment advisory firm Cetera Financial.
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has said the central bank is inclined to provide new stimulus to the US economy if it is needed. Investors will get more guidance on Friday when the government releases its monthly report on employment, which is considered one of the most important barometers for the world’s largest economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 11.54 points at 13,047.48 today. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 1.50 points to 1,403.44. The Nasdaq composite index lost 5.79 points to 3,069.27.
Earlier, the Labour Department reported that US companies got more productivity from their workers this spring than originally estimated. Productivity increased at an annual rate of 2.2% in the April-June quarter, up from an initial estimate of a 1.6% gain. Labour costs rose at an annual rate of 1.5%, slightly lower than the 1.7% initially estimated.
Stock indexes were mostly higher in Europe and the yields on government bonds issued by Spain and Italy moved lower, a positive sign that investors are becoming more optimistic about the ability of those countries to repay their debts.
Benchmark indexes rose 0.5% in Germany and 0.2% in France.
European Central Bank president Mario Draghi is expected to reveal details of a new bond-buying programme aimed at cutting borrowing costs for Spain and Italy, the latest flash points in Europe’s government debt crisis. Without some way to reduce the interest rates on the bonds they sell, the two nations could be pushed into asking for a bailout, following a path taken by Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
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