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Dow Jones Today: Index Flat as Investors Mull Global Rate Decisions

Tech stocks soar, sending other indexes higher, but the Dow ends the day unchanged as officials digest rate hikes

By
Terry Lane
Full Bio
Terry has 25 years experience in journalism and communications, reporting on a range of topics that include personal finance, telecommunications, Congress, government regulations, and criminal justice. He has also worked on technology, energy, and environmental policy issues as a congressional press secretary and owned and published a local community newspaper in North Carolina.
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Published June 22, 2023

Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed down 0.01%, or 4 points, spending most of the day in the red as investors digested the latest moves by central banks around the world. Boeing (BA) led the Dow lower while drug maker Merck (MRK) gained.

Tech stocks popped, helping lead the Nasdaq 0.8% higher, while the S&P 500 rose 0.25%.

Key Takeaways

  • The Dow Jones ended the day essentially unchanged, falling 0.01% while tech stocks led other indexes higher.
  • Merck, Amgen, and Johnson & Johnson shares moved higher after an industry group sued to block new Medicare pricing laws.
  • Boeing dropped after a worker's strike forced a key supplier to temporarily shutter a factory.

Central bank action was the focus for investors today. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Senators the Fed would likely resume hiking interest rate later this year, after pausing at its June meeting. The Bank of England surprised analysts with a higher-than-expected 50 basis point hike. And Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman echoed Powell, saying interest rates would need to go higher to fight inflation.

Boeing shares fell 3% after workers at Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier, voted to strike, shutting down its Kansas factory.

Goldman Sachs (GS) dropped 1.8% after one of its investment bankers was convicted of insider trading after a week-long trial.

Merck was the Dow's best-performing stock, climbing 2.3% after a leading pharmaceutical lobby filed suit against the Biden Administration over new Medicare drug rules. The suit is similar to one filed by Merck earlier this month that seeks to block Medicare from negotiating drug prices. Amgen (AMGN) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) also rose more than 1%.

Microsoft (MSFT) and Salesforce (CRM) both gained 1.8%, while Apple (AAPL) rose 1.6% as investors snapped up Big Tech stocks.

Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) rose 1.3% after analysts at Deutsche Bank said the company’s risk/reward profile would skew to the upside, especially following next week’s earning report.

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