A rebound in stocks sputtered, with the S&P 500 extending a slide from its July peak to 10 per cent — and entering a “correction.” Oil topped US$85 and gold hit US$2,000 amid the latest geopolitical developments.

Volatility resurfaced on news that Israeli forces are expanding activity in Gaza. The US stock benchmark saw its worst week in a month. The KBW Bank Index slid to the lowest since September 2020. Amazon.com Inc. and Intel Corp. rallied on earnings. Treasury two-year yields retreated as traders took a hot inflation measure in stride. The dollar fell.

U.S. stocks are in their third month of declines after bond yields soared on worries about a persistently hawkish Federal Reserve. Concern about the war in the Middle East as well as an underwhelming corporate earnings season have dented risk appetite more recently.

“The aggressive market selloff has been driven largely by technical factors, as fundamentals remain solid,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. “This is fitting, given the strong bounce since last October was also largely technical. Signs of oversold conditions and supportive seasonality should lead to a bounce, though sentiment will need to shift, which could take a catalyst or a period of capitulation.”

More than two-thirds of stocks for companies in the S&P 500 index are trading below their 200-day moving averages, according to an analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence. That's a sign of widespread pain for stock prices, after many companies have posted lackluster earnings amid interest rates that are high and bond yields that keep creeping up.

US near-term inflation expectations rose in October to a five-month high as they feared higher prices at the gas pump, reinforcing downbeat views on the economy. The Fed's preferred measure of underlying inflation accelerated to a four-month high in September and consumer spending picked up, keeping the door open to another interest-rate hike in the months ahead. 

Corporate Highlights:

• Tesla Inc. raised the price of its Model Y Performance sport-utility vehicle by around US$2,000 in China on Friday, according to its local website, reversing a reduction made only in August.
• Walt Disney Co. is once again overhauling its movie release calendar, delaying three films that had previously been scheduled for next year and removing another three from the line-up altogether.
• Ford Motor Co. said it fell short of third-quarter earnings expectations, citing higher costs and lower quality, a day after it won labor peace through a tentative contract with the United Auto Workers.
• Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. posted disappointing profits amid weak performances by their oil-refining and chemical businesses.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. jumped after the restaurant chain reported third-quarter comparable sales that beat estimates.
• AutoNation Inc., one of the biggest car dealership chains in the US, posted third-quarter profit and revenue that beat expectations on rising new car sales and growth in its aftermarket repair business.
• AbbVie Inc. raised its profit outlook for this year and next as demand for newer biologic drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq helped fill the gap left by falling Humira sales.

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The S&P 500 fell 0.5 per cent as of 4 p.m. New York time
• The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.5 per cent
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1 per cent
• The MSCI World index fell 0.2 per cent

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1 per cent
• The euro was little changed at US$1.0570
• The British pound was little changed at US$1.2121
• The Japanese yen rose 0.6 per cent to 149.56 per dollar

Cryptocurrencies

• Bitcoin fell 1.4 per cent to US$33,702.26
• Ether fell 1.3 per cent to US$1,774.32

Bonds

• The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 4.83 per cent
• Germany's 10-year yield declined three basis points to 2.83 per cent
• Britain's 10-year yield declined five basis points to 4.54 per cent

Commodities

• West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2.3 per cent to US$85.16 a barrel
• Gold futures rose one per cent to US$2,016.60 an ounce