NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks headed sideways in early trading Friday as broad gains for banks were offset by sharp drops in technology companies.
Banks were among the few gainers in the early going, led by Wells Fargo after the troubled bank named a new CEO. JPMorgan and Bank of America also rose while bond yields edged higher.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.70% from 1.68% late Thursday.
Boeing, General Electric and other companies helped lift industrial stocks.
A weak profit forecast and a sales warning brought on by the U.S.-China trade war sent chipmaker Micron Technology plunging, leading losses among the broader technology sector. Communications stocks also fell. Facebook lost 1.2%.
The S&P 500 index is on track for its second straight weekly loss. Volatility from the ongoing U.S.-China trade conflict and soft economic data have been weighing on the market throughout the week. Meanwhile, investors are preparing for the close of the third quarter and an upcoming round of corporate earnings reports.
KEEPING SCORE: The S&P 500 index fell 0.1% as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 20 points, or 0.1%, to 26,915. The Nasdaq fell 0.4%.
OVERSEAS: Stocks in Europe moved higher, while Asian stocks mostly fell. The week is ending quietly following the end of the U.N. General Assembly and a lack of international economic news.
A Bank of England policy maker said interest rates might have to be cut even if Britain leaves the European Union on Oct. 31 with a deal on trade and other issues.
CHIP DIP: Micron Technology sank 9.1% after the chipmaker gave investors a weak profit forecast for the fiscal first quarter and warned that the trade war could hurt sales. The company gets more than half its revenue from China. Huawei, a prime target for U.S. sales restrictions, is a key customer.
MUSICAL CEOS: Wells Fargo rose 4.3% after it named its third CEO in as many years as the bank attempts to put a series of scandals behind it. Charles Scharf, currently CEO of Bank of New York Mellon, will take over for C. Allen Parker.
The company has been involved in a series of scandals starting in 2016 with the uncovering of millions of fake checking accounts its employees opened to meet sales quotas.
LIFTOFF: LATAM Airlines surged 31% after Delta Air Lines invested $1.9 billion in the company, which focuses on Latin America. The investment gives Delta a 20% stake in the company.
By AP reporter Damian J. Troise
