Stock Market Today: Banks Burned as Stocks Break Sharply Lower
The Fed's limitations on big banks' dividends and share buybacks coupled with swelling COVID-19 caseloads to weigh heavily on stocks Friday.

The stock market tug-of-war we mentioned on Thursday? Well, the bears bit into the rope and pulled hard on Friday.
The Federal Reserve, following an annual "stress test" that revealed potential capital issues in coronavirus-related scenarios, voted to mandate limiting dividends and stock buybacks at the nation's large banks during the third quarter. "Big Four" banks including Wells Fargo (WFC, -7.4%) and Bank of America (BAC, -6.4%) gave up Thursday's gains and then some.
Meanwhile, the rest of the market finally gave way to COVID-19 concerns that had been mounting all week. Florida contributed nearly 9,000 new cases Thursday to help lift the national single-day caseload to roughly 37,000, topping the previous high set in April by more than 800 infections.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The Dow started off lower and continued to weaken as the day wore on, retreating 2.8% to 25,015.55. The industrial average also was helped lower by Nike (NKE), which plunged 7.6% after reporting that its quarterly revenues plunged 38%.
The Nasdaq pulled back 2.6% to 9,757, the S&P 500 declined 2.4% to 3,009, and the small-cap Russell 2000 took the mildest loss of the major indices, dropping 2.2% to 1,382.
Signal to sell, or a buying opportunity?
The U.S. finds itself at another new coronavirus crossroads. While Texas and Florida have put their reopening plans on pause, and while mask adoption is being pushed if not mandated in several states, full shutdowns like those in March still seem unlikely.
If the efforts of America's governors proves enough, this dip might be an opportunity for a stock market that is teeming with values. You can even pick up several Dividend Aristocrats at a discount right now. In fact, in the wake of today's losses, these five financial stocks that still boast high marks from the analyst community might appeal to contrarian buyers.
That said, the U.S. might be facing a much longer economic recovery than expected, and than the stock market has priced in.
“It could still take years for the economy to fully come back,” writes LPL Financial Senior Market Strategist Ryan Detrick. “Think of it like building a house. You get all the big stuff done early, then some of the small things take so much longer to finish; I’m looking at you, crown molding.”
"Here’s the hard truth; it might take years for all of the jobs that were lost to fully recover. In fact, during the 10 recessions since 1950, it took an average of 30 months for lost jobs to finally come back."
If the U.S. economic recovery is significantly delayed or slowed, weak equities are about to become even shakier. The pros have red-flagged the following short list of S&P 500 stocks that could be more trouble than they're worth.
Kyle Woodley is the Editor-in-Chief of Young and The Invested, a site dedicated to improving the personal finances and financial literacy of parents and children. He also writes the weekly The Weekend Tea newsletter, which covers both news and analysis about spending, saving, investing, the economy and more.
Kyle was previously the Senior Investing Editor for Kiplinger.com, and the Managing Editor for InvestorPlace.com before that. His work has appeared in several outlets, including Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Barchart, The Globe & Mail and the Nasdaq. He also has appeared as a guest on Fox Business Network and Money Radio, among other shows and podcasts, and he has been quoted in several outlets, including MarketWatch, Vice and Univision. He is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a BA in journalism.
You can check out his thoughts on the markets (and more) at @KyleWoodley.
-
-
IRS is Targeting Promoters of Abusive Tax Schemes Kiplinger Tax Letter
Tax Letter Tax schemes range from basic tax dodges to highly complex transactions.
By Joy Taylor • Published
-
How to Save on Prescription Medication
How you can save money on prescription medication amidst rising prices.
By Erin Bendig • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Soar After Jobs Data, Debt Ceiling Deal
The major benchmarks rallied hard into the weekend after a mixed May jobs report and end to debt ceiling drama.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally on Debt Ceiling News, Manufacturing Data
A slow start turned into a strong finish for stocks thanks to encouraging debt ceiling updates and the latest economic data.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Is Chevron Stock Set for a Rebound?
Chevron stock received its second analyst upgrade in as many days, boosting hopes for a recovery in the lagging energy major.
By Dan Burrows • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Lower Ahead of Key Debt Ceiling Vote
The major benchmarks spent most of Wednesday in the red as the House prepares to vote on the debt ceiling deal this evening.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Give Back Big Debt Ceiling Deal Gains
The major benchmarks opened solidly higher Tuesday after lawmakers announced a debt ceiling deal, but optimism faded into the close.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Jump on Debt Ceiling Progress
The major benchmarks rallied into the long weekend after lawmakers said they're making strides in debt ceiling negotiations.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rise After AI Outlook Sparks Explosive Nvidia Rally
The Nasdaq and S&P 500 made impressive advances today after chipmaker Nvidia forecast record quarterly revenue on AI growth.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Is Nvidia Stock Just Getting Started?
Nvidia stock has more than doubled this year already, but analysts say explosive growth in AI gives NVDA plenty more upside ahead.
By Dan Burrows • Last updated