SYDNEY - The Australian dollar experienced a notable decline today, slipping below the US66 cents mark amid a broader strengthening of the US dollar. In corporate news, Coles announced a leadership change, with Jeff Kennett stepping down and Jenny Linsten set to take over the reins on February 15th.
In the United States, major stock indexes saw a downturn in performance. The S&P 500 fell by 0.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 0.2%. The aviation sector made headlines as Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE)' shares took a hit of 47.09% following the suspension of its merger plans with JetBlue due to disagreements over the deal's pricing. Conversely, JetBlue's stock enjoyed an uptick of 4.91% despite the merger setback.
Further impacting market sentiment, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)'s shares declined by 4.16% after the company reported significant legal expenses. Investors are also looking ahead to potential Federal Reserve rate cuts, with expectations of a decrease as soon as March, causing Treasury yields to drop.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) also faced challenges in the market due to safety concerns stemming from an incident with an Alaska Airlines jet, resulting in a decrease in its stock value.
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