Another very turbulent trading day with the Dow zooming up over a hundred right out the gate, then falling just as precipitously about 110 soon after before regaining ground to close 56 up.  There are days when the market sells off over the threat of rate hikes, and other days when investors decide that rate hikes will be good for the banks.  The latter was the case today with the financial sector getting a boost aided by anticipation of tax reform, though details as always remain scant.  Other good news included an increase in factory orders.  Volume was above average at 6.5 billion.

wed  SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 / 4:28 pM

Wall St. gains on financials boost, tax hopes

Chuck Mikolajczak

DJ: 22,340.71  +56.39    NAS: 6,453.26  +73.10      S&P: 2,507.04  +10.20      9/27

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as gains in financial shares were powered by growing expectations for a December interest rate hike and on hopes President Donald Trump’s administration may be making progress on a tax plan.  New orders for U.S.-made capital goods increased more than expected in August and shipments maintained their upward trend, pointing to underlying strength in the economy.

The data, coupled with comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Tuesday boosted anticipation the Federal Reserve would raise U.S. interest rates in December, lifting yields on U.S. Treasuries, which in turn pushed financials .SPSY up 1.3 percent.

“With rates going up, that is why banks move. If rates go up and are sustainable they can start to make some money,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT Investments in Atlanta, Georgia.

Trump proposed the biggest tax overhaul in three decades but offered scant details about how to pay for the cuts without dramatically driving up federal deficits.

If passed, the plan would be Trump’s first significant legislative win since taking office in January.

“For the first time since we have had Trump and the administration in office, it looks like there is incrementally more of a possibility of tax reform going through that would actually be meaningful,” said Martin.

The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks rose 1.92 percent and notched its best day since early March. Small-cap names are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of a tax cut.  Traders now see about a 78 percent chance of a December rate hike, compared with roughly 73 percent a week ago, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.  Bank of America (BAC.N) rose 2.42 percent and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) gained 2.1 percent as the biggest boost to the Dow.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 56.39 points, or 0.25 percent, to 22,340.71, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 10.2 points, or 0.41 percent, to 2,507.04 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 73.10 points, or 1.15 percent, to 6,453.26. 

Interest-rate-sensitive and dividend-paying sectors declined. The consumer staples index .SPLRCS fell 0.73 percent while utilities .SPLRCU dropped 1.34 percent and real estate .SPLRCR lost 0.84 percent.

Also serving to cap gains on the Dow and S&P were Nike (NKE.N) shares, which declined 1.92 percent after the company posted its slowest quarterly sales growth in nearly seven years and said it expected a further drop in revenue from North America. 

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.29-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.71-to-1 ratio favored advancers.

About 6.55 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, compared with the 5.91 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.