Morgans AM: Thursday, 20 April 2023

US equity markets little changed for a second consecutive session as investors assessed the latest round of quarterly earnings releases, including from a couple of Dow components - Dow fell -80-points or -0.23%. Walt Disney Co fell -2.16% after Bloomberg reported that the media and entertainment giant was planning to lay off thousands of employees next week, including ~15% of the entertainment division’s workforce. The broader S&P500 dipped -0.01%, with Communication Services (down -0.72%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors lower. The more defensive sectors outperformed overnight, with Utilities (up +0.78%) and Real Estate (+0.55%) sitting at the top of the primary sector leaderboard. United Airlines Holdings Inc rallied +7.50% after the carrier projected stronger-than-expected second quarter and full year earnings after the close of the previous session. The Nasdaq eked out a +0.03% rise. Netflix Inc fell -3.17% after the streaming giant provided a disappointing second quarter outlook after the close of the previous session. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +0.22%.