[BRIEFING.COM] Stocks have pulled back from earlier levels, but continue to trade with solid gains. Financials remain the primary driver behind the move as they advance 3.0%.
There are a few pockets of weakness this morning, though. Consumer discretionary stocks (-0.6%), materials stocks (-0.5%), energy stocks (-0.5%), and consumer staples stocks (-0.2%) have all fallen into the red.
Just hitting the wires, the March Consumer Confidence Index came in at 26.0, which is worse than the expected reading of 28.0. Meanwhile, the prior reading was revised fractionally higher to 25.3, which still represents a record low for the reading.
Early movers: Trading up: CSB +27.1%, TBSI +19.3%, LNC +16.4%, AMLN +14.5%, FUQI +14.2%, JTX +12.4%, HTZ +10.1%, AINV +8.7%. Trading down: ACOR -20.7%, LEN -13.1%, HIG -12.5%, GM -10.3%, ALTH -9.7%.
