Morgans AM: Wednesday, 25 August 2021

Morgans Financial Limited

Broad-based gains lifted both the S&P500 and Nasdaq to fresh record closing highs as positive U.S. vaccination news and easing worries about the U.S. tapering stimulus buoyed sentiment ahead of a key speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later this week. - Dow added +31-points or +0.09% . The broader S&P500 edged +0.15% higher to 4,486.23, with Energy (up +1.61%) atop the primary sector leaderboard for a second consecutive session and leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher. The more defensive sectors underperformed for a second consecutive session, with Consumer Staples (down -0.76%), Real Estate (-0.72%) and Utilities (-0.63%). The Nasdaq gained +0.52% to 15,019.80, with Chinese stocks leading the gains amid some bargain hunting as investors get some more clarity on the regulatory outlook. JD.com jumped 14.44% following the Chinese e-commerce giant’s second quarter result after the closing bell of the previous session. Fellow e-commerce platform Pinduoduo soared +22.25%, search engine Baidu +8.63% and Tencent Music Entertainment +12.75%. Gary Gensler, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said the agency will demand U.S.-traded Chinese companies disclose political and regulatory risks to investors, an extension of recently imposed requirements for firms seeking initial public offerings, according to a Bloomberg report. Corporations could begin including the enhanced disclosures in their annual reports as early as next year. Casino operators Las Vegas Sands (up +7.53%) and Wynn Resorts (+7.01%), after Macau eased travel restrictions with the improvement of the Covid-19 case outlook in China’s Guangdong province, a key visitor source for the gambling capital. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +1.02%.