Major US stock indexes finished the session mixed, as the deterioration in the forecast profit from the network of pharmacies Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. put pressure on the pharmaceutical sector, while investors were looking for additional signals that would ease concerns about economic growth.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announced it had received adjusted quarterly earnings of $ 1.64 per share, which was 8 cents below the average forecast of analysts. The company's revenues also fell somewhat short of market expectations, and at Walgreens they lowered their profit forecast for the current fiscal year. The cost of WBA shares has fallen by more than 13%.

Market participants also analyzed data from the Department of Commerce, which showed that orders for durable goods produced in the United States dropped sharply in February. According to the report, the total volume of orders for durable goods, ranging from toasters and ending with airplanes for three years or more, fell by -1.6% in February after rising by 0.1% in January. This reflects a 4.8% drop in demand for transport equipment. Economists had expected durable goods orders to fall by -1.8% compared with a 0.3% increase reported in the previous month. However, with the exception of a significant reduction in orders for transportation equipment, orders for durable goods actually increased by 0.1% in February, after a decrease of -0.1% in January. It was expected that the volume of orders with the exception of transport equipment will increase by 0.2%.

In addition, the World Trade Organization (WTO) reports that world trade declined by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2018 and is likely to grow by 2.6% this year, which is below the 3% growth recorded in 2018 year, and below the previous forecast of the organization + 3.7%. The WTO said that increasing trade tensions is the main reason for reducing the forecast.

At the same time, IMF head Christine Lagarde reported that the Fund estimates that 70% of the global economy will experience a slowdown this year, but does not expect a recession in the short term.

Most of the components of DOW finished trading in the red (21 out of 30). Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. was an outsider. (WBA; -13.18%). The growth leader was Apple Inc. (AAPL, + 1.59%).

Most sectors of the S & P recorded an increase. The technological sector has grown more than the rest (+ 0.3%). The largest decline was shown by the base materials sector (-0.2%).

At the time of closing:

Dow 26,179.13 -79.29 -0.30%

S & P 500 2,867.23 +0.04 +0.00%

Nasdaq 100 7,848.69 +19.78 +0.25%

U.S. stock-index flat on Tuesday as investors took a breather after a three-day surge on Wall Street, while looking for more signs of strength in the economy.

Global Stocks:

(company / ticker / price / change ($/%) / volume)

Walt Disney (DIS) initiated with Buy at Rosenblatt Securities; target $150

Alcoa (AA) downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse; target lowered to $31

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported Q2 FY 2019 earnings of $1.64 per share (versus $1.73 in Q2 FY 2018), missing analysts’ consensus of $1.72.

The company’s quarterly revenues amounted to $34.528 bln (+4.6% y/y), generally in line with analysts’ consensus estimate of $34.567 bln.

The company also issued downside guidance for FY 2019, projecting EPS of $5.98 versus analysts’ consensus estimate of $6.38.

WBA fell to $58.22 (-8.33 %) in pre-market trading.