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Stocks Rally After Trump and Business Leaders Pledge Support: Live Market Updates Stocks Rally as Trump and Business Leaders Pledge Support: Live Updates
(32 minutes later)
Stocks rallied Friday, rebounding from their worst day in more than 30 years, after President Trump said leaders of private companies in the United States had agreed to help with efforts to test for the coronavirus, and declared a national emergency that would free billions in funding for states and territories to fight the epidemic. Stocks rallied Friday, rebounding from their worst day in more than 30 years, after President Trump said leaders of private companies in the United States had agreed to help with efforts to test for the coronavirus, and declared a national emergency that would free billions in funding to fight the epidemic.
The S&P 500 closed up more than 9 percent Friday, its best day since 2008, with most of the gains coming as government officials and business executives spoke at a news conference at the White House. The S&P 500 rose more than 9 percent, making Friday its best day since 2008, with most of the gains coming late in the day as government officials and business executives spoke at a news conference at the White House.
Mr. Trump said the administration was working with Google to develop a website to determine whether an individual needs a test — a move aimed at avoiding overwhelming the health system with people who are ill but do not necessarily need to be tested for coronavirus.Mr. Trump said the administration was working with Google to develop a website to determine whether an individual needs a test — a move aimed at avoiding overwhelming the health system with people who are ill but do not necessarily need to be tested for coronavirus.
“Google is helping to develop a website, it is going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” he said. The chief executives of Walmart, Target and Walgreens all said they had agreed to make facilities available for testing. Executives from CVS Health, Roche Diagnostics and Signify Health were also in attendance at the news conference.
The chief executives of Walmart, Target and Walgreens all said they had agreed to make facilities available for testing. Executives from CVS Health, Roche Diagnostics and Signify Health were also in attendance. Mr. Trump also said he would waive interest on all student loans held by all government agencies, and that the energy secretary would be buying “large quantities of oil” to fill up the country’s strategic reserve — an effort to bolster flagging oil prices.
Mr. Trump said he would waive interest on all student loans held by all government agencies. He also said that the energy secretary would be buying “large quantities of oil” to fill up the country’s strategic reserve.
Financial markets have been nothing if not inconsistent for the past three weeks, plunging and then rising, and then plunging again, as each day brought new measures to contain the outbreak and new worries that the economy, workers and businesses would take a hit as a result of them.Financial markets have been nothing if not inconsistent for the past three weeks, plunging and then rising, and then plunging again, as each day brought new measures to contain the outbreak and new worries that the economy, workers and businesses would take a hit as a result of them.
On Thursday, stocks on Wall Street and in Europe plunged in their biggest daily drop since the stock market crashed in 1987, as Mr. Trump’s ban on the entry to the United States from most European countries disappointed investors, who had been waiting for Washington to take stronger steps to bolster the economy. On Thursday, stocks had their biggest daily drop since the stock market crashed in 1987, as Mr. Trump’s ban on the entry to the United States from most European countries disappointed investors, who had been waiting for Washington to take stronger steps to bolster the economy. For the S&P 500, Friday’s gains recouped most of those losses.
Though stocks had been up for most of the day, reflecting growing expectations for government action to address the crisis, as well as Federal Reserve efforts to flood the markets will fresh liquidity. But the blue chip index shot higher at the end of the day as Mr. Trump spoke. Mr. Trump, in taking reporters’ questions after the markets closed, signaled that a bipartisan deal with lawmakers on fiscal stimulus was not close.
Democrats were not “giving enough,” Mr. Trump said. “We don’t think the Democrats are giving enough. We didn’t agree to certain things they agreed to. We could have something,” he said, adding “they’re not doing what’s right for the country.”
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Still, the fate of an economic relief package on Capitol Hill was left in doubt on Friday. Mr. Trump said Democrats were not “giving enough,” suggesting the two sides were still far apart on a bipartisan economic response. “We don’t think the Democrats are giving enough. We didn’t agree to certain things they agreed to. We could have something,” he said, adding “they’re not doing what’s right for the country.” Late Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had “resolved most of our differences” on a package of economic aid for workers and companies. But on Friday, when Ms. Pelosi spoke about the bill, she highlighted that it would fund testing programs to determine the scope of the outbreak but didn’t address whether it had bipartisan support or buy-in from the White House.
Late Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had “resolved most of our differences” on a package of economic aid for workers and companies. On Friday, when Ms. Pelosi spoke about the bill, she highlighted that it would fund testing programs to determine the scope of the outbreak but didn’t address whether it had bipartisan support or buy-in from the White House. But Mr. Trump did not rule a rescue package for the airline and cruise industries.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is buying up a variety of Treasury securities in a bid to keep markets functioning normally after trading in government debt broke down earlier this week — and that effort to help became even more substantial on Friday. Asked whether the United States would bail out the cruise industry, Mr. Trump acknowledged that “it’s an industry that was very badly impacted by what is going on. We will be helping them and we will be helping the airline industry if we have to.”
The bank said it would pull forward its planned monthly purchases, which total $80 billion, so that half of them would be done by the end of the day. It would also “bring forward remaining purchases for this monthly calendar and adjust terms of operations as needed to foster smooth Treasury market functioning,” it said in a statement. Mr. Trump did note that the virus outbreak had been good for some companies, including some retailers, who have seen runs on things like hand sanitizer, paper goods and foods. “Your business is like the opposite,” he said to the chief executives of Walmart and Target, who were standing beside him. “You’re selling a lot of stuff.”
The swift action suggested to some investors that there could be more to come, and stock prices rallied on the back of the announcement. Google is working with Verily, a life sciences unit of its parent company Alphabet, to direct individuals with a high risk of coronavirus infection to testing sites.
“It’s a signal that they are diagnosing what it going on in the market,” said Julia Coronado, founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives. “It’s a signal that we’re likely to get quantitative easing next week, if not before.” President Trump said on Friday that Google had devoted 1,700 engineers to build a website to help people screen for COVID-19 symptoms and then be directed to testing locations.
The Fed was ahead of its global counterparts in reacting to the coronavirus’s economic threat, slashing rates by half a percentage point last week in its first emergency move since the financial crisis. It is widely expected to lower rates again at its meeting next week, and analysts think it could revive more aggressive bond-buying, among other measures meant to cushion the market and real-economy fallout of the global pandemic. The description of the website fits with an initiative described by Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s chief executive, in an internal memo sent on Thursday and obtained by The New York Times. A Google representative was not immediately available for comment, and The Times could not independently confirm the company had devoted 1,700 people to the effort.
“A planning effort is underway to use the expertise in life sciences and clinical research of Verily in partnership with Google to aid in the COVID-19 testing effort,” Mr. Pichai wrote in the memo.
He explained that once more tests become available, the plan is to have public health officials direct people to a Verily website that can steer people at higher risk to testing sites. Mr. Pichai did not lay out how many engineers would be assigned to the project, but he asked for volunteers interested in working on the project.
President Trump said on Friday that he would fill up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which for decades has been used as a cushion in case of fuel shortages caused by global political events or natural disasters.
The reserve has about 635 million barrels of oil, and is equipped to store another 75 million barrels, which is equivalent to three-quarters of one day’s global oil production. By adding to it, the government would have to buy oil on the market, increasing overall demand and lifting prices. But the reserve can take in only about 500,000 barrels a day, or slightly less than 4 percent of U.S. production. Still, oil prices, which have tumbled in recent weeks as demand has plummeted because of the coronavirus outbreak, shot up about 6 percent after Mr. Trump’s remarks.
“It won’t clean up the market, but it is an important first step,” said Larry Goldstein, a director of the Energy Policy Research Foundation, an industry and government funded research organization.
With most finished movies pulled off the release calendar through the end of April, Hollywood studios started to halt their assembly lines on Friday, beginning with Disney.With most finished movies pulled off the release calendar through the end of April, Hollywood studios started to halt their assembly lines on Friday, beginning with Disney.
“While there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time,” Walt Disney Studios said in a statement.“While there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time,” Walt Disney Studios said in a statement.
The affected Disney projects include a new version of “The Little Mermaid,” which was supposed to begin shooting in London next week; “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” a Marvel superhero film; a remake of “Home Alone,” the 1990 comedy; “The Last Duel,” a period epic starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon; and the big-budget “Peter Pan & Wendy.” Disney is also halting production on two scripted series and 16 pilots.The affected Disney projects include a new version of “The Little Mermaid,” which was supposed to begin shooting in London next week; “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” a Marvel superhero film; a remake of “Home Alone,” the 1990 comedy; “The Last Duel,” a period epic starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon; and the big-budget “Peter Pan & Wendy.” Disney is also halting production on two scripted series and 16 pilots.
Netflix is halting production on all scripted television series and films in the United States and Canada for at least two weeks, according to two people briefed on the plans. This will affect dozens of shows, and it includes projects that are either filming or are preparing for production.Netflix is halting production on all scripted television series and films in the United States and Canada for at least two weeks, according to two people briefed on the plans. This will affect dozens of shows, and it includes projects that are either filming or are preparing for production.
The decision was reached by Netflix executives after realizing that new government rules setting restrictions on gatherings would have made production next to impossible, one of the people said.The decision was reached by Netflix executives after realizing that new government rules setting restrictions on gatherings would have made production next to impossible, one of the people said.
Warner Bros. also announced on Friday that it was halting production on more than 70 series and pilots that are filming. NBC Universal announced late Thursday night it would likewise halt production or accelerate filming to finish production for several series. Warner Bros. also announced on Friday that it was halting production on more than 70 series and pilots that are filming.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vowed on Friday that the United States government would do whatever was necessary to ensure that markets have “almost unlimited” liquidity. He said that the economic relief package being negotiated with Congress was just the beginning of efforts to stimulate the economy in the wake of the coronavirus.
“I think we’re like in the second inning of getting things done,” Mr. Mnuchin said on CNBC.
The Trump administration is considering additional relief measures, including a payroll tax holiday. Mr. Mnuchin also said that the administration is working on exemptions from tariffs imposed by President Trump that are affecting businesses, and that he would be open to waiving restrictions on withdrawals for 401(k) investments so that people can more readily access their savings.
European leaders said they would spend hundreds of billions of euros to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from provoking a deep recession or financial crisis.European leaders said they would spend hundreds of billions of euros to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from provoking a deep recession or financial crisis.
Nearly simultaneous announcements by leaders in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and other capitals contrasted with the bickering and finger-pointing that characterized Europe’s response to the financial crisis a decade ago, which left economic scars that have still not fully healed.Nearly simultaneous announcements by leaders in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and other capitals contrasted with the bickering and finger-pointing that characterized Europe’s response to the financial crisis a decade ago, which left economic scars that have still not fully healed.
Germany dropped its insistence on balanced budgets and said it would offer as much credit as businesses need to stay afloat. France promised to compensate citizens for lost wages. Italy was expected to introduce a multibillion-euro economic aid package. And the European Union said it would allow members to run bigger budget deficits than normally allowed.Germany dropped its insistence on balanced budgets and said it would offer as much credit as businesses need to stay afloat. France promised to compensate citizens for lost wages. Italy was expected to introduce a multibillion-euro economic aid package. And the European Union said it would allow members to run bigger budget deficits than normally allowed.
But the sums committed by national leaders were for their own countries. It is still an open question how far other European countries will be willing to go to help Italy, which has been hit hardest by the virus but has limited resources to respond because of a weak economy and enormous debt load.But the sums committed by national leaders were for their own countries. It is still an open question how far other European countries will be willing to go to help Italy, which has been hit hardest by the virus but has limited resources to respond because of a weak economy and enormous debt load.
Delta will cut 40 percent of its flights over the next few months — more than it did after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and is also parking up to to 300 planes, offering unpaid leaves, freezing hiring, scaling back its use of consultants and contractors and slashing capital spending by at least $2 billion for the year.Delta will cut 40 percent of its flights over the next few months — more than it did after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and is also parking up to to 300 planes, offering unpaid leaves, freezing hiring, scaling back its use of consultants and contractors and slashing capital spending by at least $2 billion for the year.
Berkshire Hathaway said it would not allow shareholders to physically attend its May 2 annual meeting in Omaha, which will be streamed online. All special events around the meeting were canceled.Berkshire Hathaway said it would not allow shareholders to physically attend its May 2 annual meeting in Omaha, which will be streamed online. All special events around the meeting were canceled.
Wynn Resorts is canceling all large entertainment gatherings from this weekend, including buffets, nightclubs and theaters in Las Vegas and Boston. The company said it would continue to pay its full-time employees. American consumers were slightly less confident in early March compared with a month ago, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer confidence index, reflecting early fears about the spread of coronavirus and its impact on the stock market.
American consumers were slightly less confident in early March compared with a month ago, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer confidence index, reflecting early fears about the spread of coronavirus and its impact on the stock market. The index fell to 95.9 in March, which the survey described as a “modest decline” from 101.0 in February.
Reporting was contributed by Alexandra Stevenson, Jeanna Smialek, Niraj Chokshi, Jim Tankersley, Cao Li, Matt Phillips, Amie Tsang, Carlos Tejada, Brooks Barnes, Tiffany Hsu, Mohammed Hadi and Katie Robertson.Reporting was contributed by Alexandra Stevenson, Jeanna Smialek, Niraj Chokshi, Jim Tankersley, Cao Li, Matt Phillips, Amie Tsang, Carlos Tejada, Brooks Barnes, Tiffany Hsu, Mohammed Hadi and Katie Robertson.