A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after the latest University of Michigan survey revealed a sharp drop in consumer sentiment to its lowest level for the year.
The final March reading fell to 55.3, driven by mounting unease over personal finances following the war with Iran. This pessimism was particularly pronounced among middle and higher-income households. The report highlighted spiking concerns about higher gas prices and volatile financial markets. Furthermore, consumers’ short-term inflation expectations surged, with Americans anticipating an average inflation rate of 3.8% over the next 12 months. This decline in confidence is a worrying signal for the economy, as it may lead to reduced consumer spending, which in turn could impact corporate earnings and overall economic growth.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.
Among others, the following stocks were impacted:
Dave & Buster’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 54 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 1 day ago when the stock dropped 11.9% on the news that geopolitical uncertainty and a sharp rise in oil prices weighed on broader market sentiment.
The S&P 500 dropped by 1%, with the Dow and Nasdaq also seeing declines as conflict in Iran intensified. Tensions around the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for a fifth of the world’s oil supply, pushed global energy prices higher. A barrel of Brent crude oil surged 4.9% to $101.98, a significant increase from its pre-war level of around $70. Rising energy costs can impact consumer spending by reducing disposable income, which often leads to concerns for companies in the retail, travel, and leisure industries.