More stocks fell than rose in the S&P 500, and most of the benchmark index’s sectors took slight losses. The market had edged higher in the early going after a surprisingly good retail sales report for August, but then quickly turned lower and remained there for much of the day. The Commerce Department reported that retail sales rose 0.7% last month. Deere & Co. fell 1.2%, Eli Lilly dropped 1.2% and Freeport-McMoRan slid 6.6%, the biggest drop among S&P 500 companies. A mix of retailers gained ground following the retail sales report, which showed a surprise jump in August.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 17, 2021 00:09 UTC