Stocks turn higher after weekend riots, China cuts US ag purchases

Grasso: NYSE protecting people while giving them access to money

Former NYSE Chairman Richard Grasso on the New York Stock Exchange floor closing due to the coronavirus.

U.S. equity markets were higher Monday after riots over the weekend left a trail of destruction across America and China ordered state-run companies to stop the purchases of some U.S. products.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 50 points, or 0.18 percent, after falling by as many as 162 points in the opening minutes of trading. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were higher by 0.17 percent and 0.34 percent, respectively.

TickerSecurityLastChangeChange %
I:DJIDOW JONES AVERAGES25460.86+77.75+0.31%
SP500S&P 5003048.17+3.86+0.13%
I:COMPNASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX9524.570862+34.70+0.37%

Riots erupted across the country over the weekend, causing the deployment of 5,000 National Guard members in at least 15 states. The reinforcements were unable to prevent rioters from destroying property, setting fires and looting stores nationwide.

Meanwhile, China on Monday ordered state-run agriculture buyers to temporarily halt purchases of U.S. products including soybeans and pork, according to a Bloomberg report confirmed by FOX Business.

The decision, which puts the partial trade agreement in jeopardy, comes after President Trump on Friday ordered his administration to punish Beijing for passing a national security bill that bypassed Hong Kong’s legislature, effectively ending the “one country, two systems” governing principle that was guaranteed for the 50 years following Great Britain’s 1997 handover to China.

The major averages trimmed their early losses after the May reading of ISM Manufacturing climbed to 43.1 from last month's 41.5. Wall Street analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting a reading of 43.6.

Retailers were in focus after a weekend of looting swept stores in major shopping areas across the country. Target, Walmart and Nike are among the companies that have temporarily shuttered locations due to the violence.

TickerSecurityLastChangeChange %
TGTTARGET CORP.119.98-2.35-1.92%
WMTWALMART INC.122.94-1.12-0.90%
NKENIKE INC.99.25+0.67+0.68%

Gun-related names also garnered attention amid the riots with gun makers Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Olin Corp., ammunition maker Vista Outdoor and police body cam and Taser stun gun maker Axon Enterprise all seeing gains.

TickerSecurityLastChangeChange %
RGRSTURM RUGER65.00+2.66+4.27%
OLNOLIN CORP12.67+0.64+5.32%
VSTOVISTA OUTDOOR INC10.95+1.24+12.77%
AAXNAXON ENTERPRISE89.95+13.99+18.42%

Elsewhere, drugmaker Eli Lily dosed patients in a phase one study of its potential COVID-19 antibody treatment. Rival Gilead Sciences said its phase three study of experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir showed promise in five- and 10-day treatment groups.

TickerSecurityLastChangeChange %
LLYELI LILLY & COMPANY152.63-0.32-0.21%
GILDGILEAD SCIENCES INC.74.78-3.04-3.91%

Coty shares soared after the beauty products maker reached a deal to sell a 60 percent stake in its hair business to private-equity firm KKR for $2.5 billion in net cash and a $1 billion direct investment.

TickerSecurityLastChangeChange %
COTYCOTY INC.4.39+0.76+20.93%

West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.56 percent to $34.58 a barrel while gold slipped 0.52 percent to $1,743 an ounce.

U.S. Treasurys slid, running the yield on the 10-year note up by 2.5 basis points to 0.669 percent.

In Europe, France’s CAC was higher by 1.26 percent while Britain’s FTSE advanced 1.23 percent. Germany’s DAX was closed for a holiday.

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Hong Kong’s Hang Seng paced the advance in Asia, climbing 3.36 percent, while China’s Shanghai Composite and Japan’s Nikkei gained 2.21 percent and 0.84 percent, respectively.

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