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Jet downing, weak earnings rattle stock market

By WTOP Staff

ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer

The downing of a passenger plane flying over Ukraine rattled U.S. financial markets Thursday, deepening a slide set off by a batch of disappointing company earnings and a weak home construction report.

All three major stock indexes ended lower for the first time in a week, but remained near record highs and positive for the year.

Ukrainian officials said a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down over war-torn eastern Ukraine, although both the government and pro-Russia separatists fighting in the region denied responsibility. The situation raised concerns of wider geopolitical instability and an escalation of tensions between Russia and the West.

Investors responded by seeking refuge in U.S. government bonds. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to its lowest level since May. Gold and oil prices rose.

SanDisk, AutoNation, Yum Brands and Mattel were among the biggest decliners after reporting earnings or profit forecasts that disappointed investors. Airline and homebuilder stocks also fell sharply.

“What happened with the plane today and things swirling around with what may have actually happened with the plane caused a bit of a sell-off,” said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade. “The geopolitical risk is always the first one that people look for because it’s the one that changes the fastest. The market always hates uncertainty.”

Earlier Thursday, stock futures were down before the market opened as investors pored over the latest earnings and other news.

A pair of government reports pointed to an uneven U.S. recovery. The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, but home construction fell in June to the slowest pace in nine months, clouding the outlook for the housing recovery.

Homebuilders slumped on the news. M/I Homes led the decline, tumbling $1.38, or 5.8 percent, to $22.37.

“The housing starts numbers were weak, but housing has been incredibly volatile,” said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. “They were definitely disappointing.”

Stocks opened lower, but then drifted between small gains and losses, with the Dow inching briefly into positive territory.

That budding comeback stalled at midmorning when news broke of the downed plane.

The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the “VIX,” jumped 33 percent, reflecting investors’ uneasiness. The index reflects investors’ expectations of future volatility in the stock market.

All told, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 23.45 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,958.12. The Dow slid 161.39 points, or 0.9 percent, to 16,976.81. The Nasdaq composite sank 62.52 points, or 1.4 percent, to 4,363.45.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.46 percent from 2.53 percent late Wednesday. Benchmark U.S. crude oil for August delivery jumped $1.99 to $103.19 in New York. Gold surged $17.10 to $1,316.90 an ounce.

All 10 sectors in the S&P 500 declined, led by energy stocks.

SanDisk fell the most of the 500 stocks in the index, losing 13.6 percent after the flash memory maker issued a disappointing outlook. The stock fell $14.62 to $93.21.

Sherwin-Williams bucked the trend, ending up as the biggest gainer in the index. It rose $9.22, or 4.6 percent, to $210.95.

Despite Thursday’s decline, stocks remain near record territory.

The Dow closed at a record high on Wednesday, its second this month, and the S&P 500 is hovering near its most recent all-time high of 1,985.44 set on July 3.

That may have encouraged investors to sell some of their stock holdings Thursday, said Darrell Cronk, deputy chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

“It’s more of some position-squaring and a little bit of profit-taking over the next couple of days as we continue to set new highs,” Cronk said.

Even with growing geopolitical uncertainty, the market has remained focused on company earnings, which have been mostly favorable so far.

On Thursday, however, many companies disappointed.

AutoNation’s second-quarter earnings rose 12 percent, but fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. The stock of the nation’s largest auto dealership chain fell $5.01, or 8 percent, to $55.82.

Mattel fell $2.57, or 7 percent, to $36.46 after the toy maker reported that its income plunged 61 percent in the second quarter, weighed down by costs tied to its acquisition of Mega Brands.

Yum Brands shares slid $5.70, or 7 percent, to $77.01 after the operator of Taco Bell, Pizza hut and KFC reported higher second-quarter earnings but also sluggish sales in the U.S. at Pizza Hut and KFC chains.

Among other stocks making news:

— Microsoft rose 45 cents, or 1 percent, to $44.53 after announcing early Thursday that it will eliminate up to 18,000 jobs over the next year as it works to integrate the Nokia business it bought in April. The company has about 127,000 employees now.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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