US Stock fluctuated between gains and losses as investors weighed whether a report showing an unexpected contraction in manufacturing will bolster the likelihood the Federal Reserve maintains stimulus measures.
Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped at least 1.3 percent as financial companies retreated. F5 Networks Inc. (FFIV) slid 5.5 percent after Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the maker of data-management equipment. Merck & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. added more than 4.8 percent as the drugmakers’ newest versions of immune-boosting drugs show promise.
