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Stocks Climb Following Fed Minutes 05/25 16:14
Stocks ended broadly higher on Wall Street Wednesday after minutes from the
Federal Reserve's most recent meeting signaled the central bank intends to move
"expeditiously" to raise interest rates back to more neutral levels in its
fight to tame inflation.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks ended broadly higher on Wall Street Wednesday after
minutes from the Federal Reserve's most recent meeting signaled the central
bank intends to move "expeditiously" to raise interest rates back to more
neutral levels in its fight to tame inflation.
The S&P 500 rose 0.9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%. The
Nasdaq climbed 1.5%. The indexes, which recovered after being in the red in the
early going, are on pace for a weekly gain, despite more up-and-down trading
this week.
The minutes from the Fed meeting earlier this month show most of the
officials agreed that half-point increases to the Fed's benchmark short-term
rate "would likely be appropriate" at the central bank's next two meetings, in
June and July. Such an increase would be double the usual hike.
The central bank has begun raising interest rates in a bid to stamp out the
highest inflation in four decades, so traders are keen to gain fresh insight
into Fed officials' thinking. Still, the Fed minutes didn't reveal any major
surprises.
"The market's showing a relatively muted reaction to what was already
embedded in the public sphere," said Bill Northey, senior investment director
at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.
The S&P 500 rose 37.25 points to 3,978.73. The Dow gained 191.66 points to
32,120.28. The Nasdaq rose 170.29 points to 11,434.74.
Small-company stocks rose far more than the rest of the market, a sign of
bullishness on the economy. The Russell 2000 gained 34.34 points, or 2%, to
1,799.16.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which helps set mortgage rates, slipped
to 2.75% from 2.76% late Tuesday.
The broader market remains volatile with investors on edge because of rising
inflation and its impact on businesses and consumers. Investors are also
concerned about the Fed's aggressive plan to raise interest rates to fight
inflation and hope the Fed won't act so aggressively to slow the economy as to
cause a recession.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February added even more pressure to already
rising energy costs, making inflation worse for both businesses and consumers.
Supply chains became even tighter over the last month as China locked down
several major cities to fight rising cases of COVID-19.
"The overarching theme, especially for the past few weeks, is that investors
are increasingly cautious on growth and the economic outlook," said Jason
Draho, head of asset allocation for the Americas at UBS Global Wealth
Management. "It's one of the big reasons why you're seeing the inability for
the stock market to get any kind of momentum."
At the May 3-4 meeting, the Fed raised its key interest rate by a
half-percentage point, its most aggressive move since 2000. It also signaled
further large rate hikes to come. To tame inflation, the Fed wants to cool
spending and economic growth by making it more expensive for individuals and
businesses to borrow.
The minutes revealed that many of the policymakers agreed that after a rapid
series of rate increases in the coming months, they could "assess the effects"
of their rate hikes and, depending on the economy's health, adjust their
policies.
The economy has showed more signs of showing, and financial markets have
dropped sharply, since the Fed meeting.
The S&P 500 gained ground on Monday, but slipped again on Tuesday, dragged
down by more losses in the technology sector. The S&P 500 is coming off of a
seven-week losing streak that came close to ending the bull market for stocks
that began in March 2020.
Retailers had some of the strongest gains after getting beaten down in
recent days over concerns that soaring inflation was eating into their profits.
Some of those concerns dissipated after the high-end department store operator
Nordstrom reported higher sales and raised its profit forecast. It's stock
jumped 14%.
Technology stocks also helped lift the market. Microsoft rose 1.1%.
Several companies made strong gains after reporting solid financial results
and giving investors strong forecasts, despite grappling with persistently
rising inflation.
TurboTax software maker Intuit rose 8.2% after raising its profit and
revenue forecasts for the year. Caleres, the owner of Famous Footwear, surged
29.9% after also raising its profit forecasts for the year.
Homebuilder Toll Brothers rose 8% after reporting strong profits just a day
after that sector stumbled amid a disappointing government report on newly
built home sales.
Wendy's jumped 9.8% after Trian Fund Management, which already owns 19% of
the company, said it was considering buying the rest of the company.
European markets were higher and Asian markets closed mostly higher.
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