(Changes throughout, updates prices)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) - A gauge of stocks across the
world slipped from record highs on Friday and oil prices fell to
end the week little changed as weak economic data and
underwhelming earnings drove investors to reverse some recent
risky bets.
The dollar index, set to post its largest weekly drop in
five weeks, edged higher for the first time since Monday.
Financial and technology stocks weighed the most on the S&P
500, with IBM IBM and Intel INTC.O posting 10% and 9%
declines respectively after underwhelming earnings. Energy stocks also fell on Wall Street, alongside the price
of crude.
With stock valuations nearing levels not seen in two
decades, some market participants said new COVID-19 variants and
hiccups in vaccine rollouts pose near-term risks for equities.
"If we're forced to keep the economy closed and it takes
longer than we want to get through immunizations and
vaccinations for the coronavirus, that's going to be a little
rougher on the market than people apparently anticipated," said
Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth
Management in Seattle.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 123.79 points,
or 0.4%, to 31,052.22, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 6.56 points, or
0.17%, to 3,846.51 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 11.11
points, or 0.08%, to 13,542.02.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX lost 0.57% after a
survey showed economic activity in the euro zone shrank markedly
in January, with the services sector weighed by lockdown
restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic. .EU
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.40%.
Emerging market stocks lost 1.02%. MSCI's broadest index of
Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS closed 0.88%
lower, while Nikkei futures NKc1 lost 0.07%.
The dollar index =USD rose 0.153%, with the euro EUR= up
0.03% to $1.2166, while sterling GBP= was last trading at
$1.3674, down 0.42% on the day.
The Japanese yen weakened 0.31% versus the greenback at
103.82 per dollar.
Overnight data from Japan showed that factory activity
slipped into contraction in January and the services sector was
more pessimistic as emergency measures to combat a COVID-19
resurgence hit sentiment. In commodities, oil prices were weighed down by a build-up
in U.S. crude inventories and by worries that new pandemic
restrictions in China will curb fuel demand in the world's
biggest oil importer. O/R
U.S. crude CLc1 recently fell 1.69% to $52.23 per barrel
and Brent LCOc1 was at $55.36, down 1.32% on the day.
"The pandemic seems to continue to expand into a second wave
in China, with infections rising by the day and reaching again
different regions such as Shanghai," said Rystad Energy oil
markets analyst Louise Dickson.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 5/32 in price
to yield 1.0906%, from 1.107% late on Thursday.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country World Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>