Uncertain Mortgage Outlook Pressures Homebuilders

Major U.S. equities indexes moved higher on the final trading day of the week after the release of strong labor market data. The S&P 500 added 0.9% on Friday, while the Nasdaq jumped 1.2%, and the Dow gained 0.8%. All three indexes ended posted moderate gains for the week.

U.S. employers added 254,000 jobs in September, marking the quickest pace of hiring since March and blowing past economists’ forecasts. The indication of resilience in the jobs market could lower the likelihood of another jumbo rate cut by the Federal Reserve.

Shares of lithium producers moved higher following reports that British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO) might be considering an acquisition in the lithium industry. Although Rio Tinto is well known for its copper, iron ore, and diamond business, the company produces lithium and is reportedly looking to expand, even as prices for the metal have been pressured by soft electric vehicle (EV) demand. Shares of Albemarle (ALB), the world’s largest lithium producer, surged 8.2% on Friday, marking the top performance in the S&P 500.

United Airlines (UAL) shares gained 6.5% following reports that low-cost rival Spirit Airlines (SAVE) is considering a bankruptcy filing in the wake of its failed merger with JetBlue Airways (JBLU). Spirit is also said to be exploring options to restructure its balance sheet as it faces billions of dollars in debt. Spirit shares plummeted 24.6% on Friday, while JetBlue shares soared 14.2%.

Deckers Outdoor (DECK) shares added 6.4% on the day. The parent company of the Ugg, Hoka, and Teva footwear brands is a relatively fresh addition to the S&P 500, having joined the benchmark index in March. More recently, Deckers Outdoor completed a six-for-one stock split in September. Following the split, Baird analysts highlighted Deckers stock for its “best-in-class growth.”

Extra Space Storage (EXR) shares dropped 3.9%, the biggest loss of any S&P 500 stock on Friday. The downtick for the self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) came after regulatory filings revealed CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold around $1.34 million worth of shares in the company. Investors often consider significant sales by company insiders as a potential warning signal.

Shares of credit reporting agency Equifax (EFX) sank 3.4%. Earlier this week, UBS initiated coverage on Equifax stock with a “buy” rating, asserting that the company could be positioned to benefit from an expected normalization in the mortgage market. However, there could be less certainty around a mortgage recovery after today’s jobs report, which raised questions about the likely pace of interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

Concerns about Fed rate cuts and the trajectory of mortgage rates weighed on companies in the homebuilding industry. Shares of homebuilders D.R. Horton (DHI) fell 2.9%, while shares of both Lennar (LEN) and PulteGroup (PHM) were down 2.5%.