Fed's Decision Impacts Wall Street Performance
Wall Street's key indexes marked a minor downturn on Wednesday. This comes in light of disappointing economic updates from both the US and China. Moreover, stocks held their losses following the disclosure of minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting. The records reveal a united Fed, which decided to maintain interest rates steady in the June assembly to allow time to evaluate if further rate increases would be necessary.
Market Response to Anticipated Rate Hikes
Despite the expected release of the minutes in the mid-afternoon, the stocks continued their modest declines. The market has largely anticipated that the central bank will implement a rate hike during the next meeting later this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a decrease of 126.07 points, or 0.37%, ending at 34,292.4. Similarly, the S&P 500 shed 7.71 points, or 0.17%, concluding at 4,447.88, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 16.50 points, or 0.12%, to 13,800.27.
Uncertainty Over Economic Slowdown and Inflation Rates
Orders for US-made goods in May increased less than expected, as per government data, intensifying worries of an economic slowdown. Concurrently, China's service sector growth marked its slowest pace in five months in June, as evidenced by a private-sector survey. More economic data, including the US jobs report, is expected later this week, which could shape the Fed's future rate decisions. Michael James from Wedbush Securities noted that continued inflation cool-down might avert further rate hikes, a detail not revealed in the Fed minutes.
Trade Tensions Impact Chip Stocks; Meta Platforms Surge Ahead
On the tech front, chip stocks took a hit after China announced controlling exports of some metals pivotal to the semiconductor industry, owing to increasing US-China tensions over high-tech microchip access. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index fell 1.7%, with Intel and Texas Instruments down 2.5% and 1.3% respectively. In contrast, shares of Meta Platforms rose 3.5% in anticipation of its new Twitter-rival app, Threads, to be launched on Thursday. Large-cap stocks like Meta have spearheaded the gains this year for major equity indexes, resulting in the Nasdaq Composite's largest first-half increase in 40 years.
Market Predictions: A Convergence on the Horizon
According to Jack Ablin from Cresset Capital, while the largest stocks might recede, average stocks are expected to gain ground, indicating a possible market convergence in the future.
