Key Takeaways
- Major U.S. equities indexes were little changed Thursday afternoon, as the tech sector rose while most others declined.
- Shares of Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, and other chip stocks extended gains.
- Fair Isaac shares popped after the company said it will offer its FICO credit score data directly to providers of consolidated scores to mortgage lenders.
Major U.S. equities indexes were little changed Thursday afternoon on the second day of the U.S. government shutdown, as the tech sector rose while most others declined.
Intel (INTC) shares extended gains following a report that the struggling chipmaker is in early talks to add rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as a foundry customer. Shares of AMD and other companies in the semiconductor industry also advanced.
Fair Isaac (FICO) was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500, and shares of credit score providers Equifax (EFX) and TransUnion (TRU) tumbled, after Fair Isaac said it will provide its FICO scores directly to companies that sell consolidated credit reports to mortgage providers.
Starbucks (SBUX) shares also rose as the biggest coffee retailer moved to shutter hundreds of underperforming stores, part of CEO Brian Niccol’s restructuring plan.
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) shares declined after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) said it would buy the energy firm’s chemicals unit for $9.7 billion. Berkshire Hathaway shares were little changed.
Shares of power provider Edison International (EIX) lost ground after the Trump administration canceled a federal grant to upgrade California’s electric grid.
Lithium Americas (LAC) shares slid after soaring yesterday on news the U.S. would take a stake in the lithium miner. Cansaccord Genuity downgraded the stock, suggesting enthusiasm over the benefits of its new deal with Washington could be overblown.
Oil and gold futures fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was down. The U.S. dollar climbed against the euro, pound, and yen. Prices for most major cryptocurrencies were higher.