By Kate Gibson
Energy and financial shares paced Wednesday's broad market slide
after downbeat December retail sales offered the latest
confirmation of a deepening recession.
"Energy prices are coming down real hard on fears of a global
recession," said Linda Duessel, equity strategist at Federated
Investors Inc. "The fact that the price of oil keeps coming down
really underlines it's global, and it's severe."
The depth of the recession could be seen in recent economic data
as well.
"When you look at the reports this week, trade balance, the
decline in retail sales, the decline in import prices, you realize
how deeply mired the U.S. economy is in a recession," said Hugh
Johnson, chairman of Johnson Illington Advisors. "It requires the
help of the Federal Reserve, and we've gotten some; it requires the
help of government, and it appears it needs more help, and more
help is on the way. The problem is nobody knows if it'll work,
[and] nobody knows what the formula is for ending it."
Citigroup (C), off 23% to below $5, led a retreat that sank all
30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI). The
blue-chip index plummeted to early December lows, while extending
its recent losing streak to a sixth consecutive session.
Citi's steep drop followed reports it would soon reveal a plan
to unload several businesses and reduce its size by one-third,
effectively dismantling the old, sup-sized Citi model.
Especially hard hit, energy shares furthered their decline after
data had U.S. heating-oil inventories climbing more than expected.
Shares of Consol Energy Inc. (CNX), National Oilwell Varco Inc.
(NOV), Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) and Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU)
were all down about 10%.
Financial shares were also targeted. Huntington Bancshares Inc.
(HBAN) declined 16%, CIT Group Inc. (CIT) lost nearly 15% of its
market valuation, while Developers Diversified Realty (DDR) and
Lincoln National Corp. (LNC) were also among those slammed by
double-digit declines.
Shares of HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) fell to near 10-year lows
after analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote a research note challenging
the perception that HSBC, Europe's largest bank, is among the
world's strongest.
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) moved the release of its
quarterly results up to Thursday morning, nearly a week ahead of
schedule, with a spokesman for the bank declining to comment on why
the company was making the move.
"As a sector [financials], after a several-decade bull market,
now it's going to pay the piper, and be heavily regulated to
survive," said Duessel.
Johnson likens the current financial crisis to the Panic of
1907, when the New York Stock Exchange plunged nearly 50% from its
peak the previous year. The crisis was stemmed after the
intervention of financier J.P. Morgan, who committed his own money
and led an effort that also had the Treasury making large deposits
in troubled banks.
"They did that again, again and again, injecting liquidity into
the financial system, and all of a sudden, confidence turned on a
dime," said Johnson.
"The retail sales are bad news, but the real question is what is
going to happen in the first three quarters. A lot depends on what
the Fed does, what the Obama administration does, and even if they
do a lot, we don't know if and when it will work, just like in
1907," said Johnson.
Unplugged
The consumer-discretionary category fell as well, with companies
from AutoNation Inc. (AN) to upscale retailer Nordstrom Inc. (JWN)
hammered, the former 9.8%.
The government's separate reports showing twice the expected
decline in retail sales in December, along with a 4.2% drop in
import prices, illustrated the economic horror of the holiday
shopping season as well as reduced demand for goods as Americans
cut back. .
Utilities declined the least among the S&P's 10 industry
groups, bolstered by FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) and CMS Energy Corp.
(CMS), both up about 1%.
Defensive plays -- health care and consumer staples -- were also
spared the worst of the damage, with pharmaceuticals including
Baxter International Inc. (BAX) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY)
managing to eke out gains amid the bloodshed.
Medical device maker Allergan Inc. (AGN) led gains among
health-care companies on the S&P, finishing up 3.6%.
"An area of resilience continues to be the health and personal
care sector. Sales in this category increased 0.4% following a 0.5%
increase in November and they have not fallen in a year," said Tony
Crescenzi, bond market strategist at Miller Tabak & Co.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front
page of today's most important business and market news, analysis
and commentary. You can use this link on the day this article is
published and the following day.