Potential market movers

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As the major stock averages staged a stunning recovery from the day’s lows, here’s what CNBC TV producers were watching and what to watch in the upcoming session.

Mike Santoli of CNBC, who is always good at explaining the markets, made some great points. I’ll be following up on them on Thursday. He explained that Wednesday’s roughly 154-point reversal in the S&P 500 (from its morning low to its high near the end of the session) had to do with rising bond yields. The Dow moved about 910 points from low to high, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 633 points. As yields have risen recently, stocks have fallen. As bond yields have fallen so rapidly over the past few months, investors have become nervous that yields will fall due to concerns about the economy. That has eroded confidence in stock prices. Wednesday’s rise in yields, Santoli explained, started late in the morning, but it has given stock investors new confidence. The sectors that have performed best over the past three months have been interest-rate sensitive sectors, such as real estate, which has risen 18% over the past three months. This is because investors are seeking yields in the face of falling interest rates. Utilities are up about 10% over the three months. Financials are up 8.6% over the three months. Energy and communication services are the weakest S&P sectors over the past three months, down 6% and 5%, respectively.

We dive back into the insurance sector after Wednesday’s selloff. CNBC’s Contessa Brewer reports. She: Travelerdown 3.16%, Hartford Financiala decrease of 2.4%. W.R. Barkley It fell 2.36% Aon It was down 1.8%. Brewer’s sources say this may have to do with investor concerns that Vice President Kamala Harris’ election victory will lead to more litigation and less business protections, which is a big issue for insurance companies across the country right now. Some investors are concerned that a Harris win will lead to less consolidation in the industry. The sector has performed well over the past three months.progressive It’s up about 20% in that period. Aon is up 17.4% in the three months.Hannover Insurance An increase of 15.4%.Arthur J. Gallagher Up 15% in three months. Hartford Financial up 14.7% in three months.Willis Towers Watson That’s a 12% increase in three months.

CNBC’s Jill Schneider followed cocoa trading on Wednesday. Cocoa rose more than 6% on Wednesday, and is up 12% in a week. Regulators in Ghana and Ivory Coast are in talks with cocoa farmers about raising the price the two countries pay farmers for the crop. Hershey It fell more than 2% on Wednesday.

CNBC’s Phil LeBeau will be watching as the union’s 33,000 members vote on the contract agreement.Boeing The stock is down 40% from its peak on Dec. 21. Its shares are down 7% since the start of September.

There was big movement in this area on Wednesday. First Solar Up 15%. The stock is up 22% from its June high. One reason is that investors who favor the industry believe that Vice President Harris’ performance in Tuesday night’s debate put her in a good position to win the election, which has created a positive mood for green energy, including solar.Canadian Solar It was up about 12% on Wednesday. The stock is down 51% from its high nearly a year ago.Sunrun It rose 11.3%. The stock price has risen 14% since its Aug. 26 high.SolarEdge It was up 8.5% on Wednesday, but is still up 87% from its high about a year ago. Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) It’s up 6.3%, but is down 29% from its peak hit in September last year.

The supermarket operator reports its results on Thursday morning.Kroger That’s flat since the company’s last report three months ago. CEO Rodney McMullen recently testified that the proposed merger with Albertsons would create big savings for customers. The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block the deal, arguing that the proposed merger would reduce competition and harm consumers.