By Yasin Ebrahim
Investing.com – The Dow closed in the red on Monday, but well above session lows, as a rise in healthcare and technology stocks helped offset weakness in financials as fears of second wave of infections reined in recent optimism over a quicker economic recovery as states continue to lift restrictions.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.45%, or 109 points, but had been down about 270 points at the lows of the day. The S&P 500 edged up 0.01%, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.78%.
Healthcare stocks were among the biggest gainers of the day, led by Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), up 4%. Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) was up 13%.
Both companies lead the pack of drugmakers in the race to produce potential Covid-19 therapies and vaccines, which would support the long road to global economic recovery at a time when many are concerned that the lifting of restrictions may trigger a second wave of infections.
South Korea and Germany have reported an increase in infections after lifting restrictive measures to contain the virus.
A rise in FAANG stocks, meanwhile, also helped the broader market's comeback from session lows as investors continued to bet that companies sporting solid balance sheets and resilient demand are seemingly better set up for the economic uncertainty ahead.
Chip stocks were also in demand, powered by a jump in shares of Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) following a price target raise on Wall Street.
Nvidia rose more than 3% after Needham boosted its price target on the stock to $360 from $270 on expectations that increased demand for gaming and an uptick in data center spending will boost performance.
The rise in tech helped keep a lid on losses after banking stocks came under pressure as some fear a longer-than-expected economic recovery could increase credit losses for banks. Expectations that the Federal Reserve's benchmark rate could turn negative by April next year also weighed.
JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) fell 2.8%, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) slipped 4.2% and Citigroup (NYSE:C) was down 4.9%.
Lower interest rates weigh on a bank's net interest margin, the difference between the interest income generated by banks and the amount of interest paid out to their lenders.
On the earnings front, Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) slumped about 9.4% after reporting that first-quarter sales fell 23% as the Covid-19 pandemic forced the retailer shuttered its stores.
Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) fell 5.5% after missing first-quarter earnings estimates as the pandemic has halted travel and tourism demand.