Consumer Stocks Up As Yellen Testimony Hints At Hike Pause - Consumer Roundup

Shares of health-care companies were more or less flat as traders hedged their bets on the outlook for legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday the Senate would begin its August break two weeks later than expected, as the chamber labors to pass a health-care bill.

(-By Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com)

Shares of most retailers and other consumer-services companies rose as traders bet the Federal Reserve would pause in its rate-hiking cycle. Addressing a global slowdown in inflation, Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen testified to Congress that the Fed would change tack if downward pricing pressure persisted world-wide. Shares of American Airlines Group rose after the carrier boosted its outlook for revenue per passenger mile. Harley-Davidson shares fell after analysts at brokerage Bernstein cut their rating on the motorcycle maker, saying younger generations are not riding motorbikes in the same numbers as Baby Boomers had.

-Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 12, 2017 16:31 ET (20:31 GMT)