💎 Fed’s first rate cut since 2020 set to trigger market. Find undervalued gems with Fair ValueSee Undervalued Stocks

US STOCKS-Futures down after Spain warned on debt rating

Published 12/15/2010, 08:16 AM
Updated 12/15/2010, 08:20 AM

* Moody's warns on Spain credit rating

* US consumer prices, industrial production data on tap

* Futures off: S&P 3.5, Dow 19 pts, Nasdaq 7 pts

* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]

(Adds quote)

By Angela Moon

NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures dipped on Wednesday after a warning for Spain about its credit rating, rekindling fears about euro-zone debt.

Credit rating agency Moody's said it could downgrade Spain's debt and that it was concerned about the country's high funding needs. For details, see [ID:nLDE6BE110]

"The market has been tackling the euro-zone issue since April, and we all know that these countries are more credit-worthy than what these ratings say," said Jack DeGan, chief investment officer at Harbor Advisory Corp in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"But with the S&P already up so much and the latest outlook from the Fed, we just don't have a catalyst to move the market higher this morning."

S&P 500 futures were down 3.5 points and slightly below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 19 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 7 points.

Wall Street ended mostly flat on Tuesday on a late-day sell-off after another cautious assessment on the strength of the economy from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

U.S. economic data due later includes the November consumer price index at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT). Economists in a Reuters survey expect a 0.2 percent month-over-month rise, unchanged from October.

The New York Federal Reserve will release its Empire State Manufacturing Survey for December, also at 8:30 a.m.

The Fed releases industrial production and capacity utilization data for November at 9:15 a.m. (1415 GMT). Economists are expecting a 0.3 percent rise in production from the prior month and a reading of 75.0 percent for capacity utilization.

Novartis AG has wrapped up its long-awaited buyout of the remainder of U.S.-listed Alcon Inc it didn't own. [ID:nLDE6BE045]

Printer and computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co won a $1.4 billion contract from German utility E.ON . [ID:nSGE6BE051]

Anadarko Petroleum Corp said continuous flow of oil from the Jubilee field, offshore Ghana would start Wednesday, with production ramping up over the next three to six months. [ID:nSGE6BE04X]

McDonald's Corp plans to double the number of its restaurants in China to 2,000 by 2013, a senior executive said. [ID:nTOE6BE03D] (Editing by Padraic Cassidy)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.