US stocks gain as Treasury moves to shore up bond market

On Wednesday, US stocks experienced an increase as the Treasury Department announced plans to buy more government bonds, providing reassurance to financial markets. This move, coupled with strong spring earnings from companies such as Estee Lauder and Target, helped support the market. The S&P 500 rose by 0.5 percent and is on track for its first gain in four days, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 169 points, or 0.3 percent. The Nasdaq composite also saw a 0.5 percent increase.

The stock market had been facing pressure due to concerns over inflation, government debt, and other factors that were driving up Treasury yields. However, these yields fell in the morning after the Treasury Department decided to double its planned purchases of longer-term Treasurys from September 9 to November 4. Longer-term 10- and 30-year Treasurys are less influenced by the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions, and investors are determining the appropriate interest rates based on their expectations of future inflation, government deficits, and other risks.

After the Treasury's announcement, the yield on the 10-year Treasury decreased to 4.65 percent from 4.71 percent, marking a notable shift in the bond market. The 30-year Treasury yield also fell sharply to 5.2 percent from 5.28 percent. Additionally, Moderna and Merck reported encouraging results from a study of a cancer vaccine they co-developed, leading to significant stock price increases. Moderna's stock surged 125 percent, while Merck rose by 10.8 percent.

The consistent reporting of stronger-than-expected profits from US companies during the spring has further bolstered stock markets. Estee Lauder's shares climbed 16.3 percent after CEO Stéphane de La Faverie revealed that revenue growth accelerated for a fourth consecutive quarter. The company's earnings per share reached 39 cents, surpassing analysts' expectations.

Target also saw a 4.6 percent increase, while Lowe's added 2.7 percent, and Toll Brothers climbed 6.8 percent following better-than-anticipated profits for the latest quarter. These positive earnings results counteracted the declines experienced by some technology stocks, which had previously limited the overall market gains.