US markets closed lower as rate-hike fears weigh

24 May 2016 Evaluate

The US markets closed lower on Monday, weighed down by the prospect that interest rates might rise as soon as next month. The main indexes drifted between slight gains and losses for most of the day as US markets logged their second-lowest trading volume this year. St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard stated that US interest rates being kept too low for too long could cause financial instability in future and stronger market expectations for a rate rise are probably good. A relatively tight labor market in the United States may also exert upward pressure on inflation, raising the case for higher interest rates. Bullard enlightened that US labor market was performing well and global headwinds that had partly prevented the Federal Reserve from raising rates again may have waned. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker stated that he could easily see the possibility of the central bank raising short-term interest rates two to three times this year, warning that policy could become overly accommodative by historical standards if the economy continues to improve as he expects. Echoing the mantra of his central bank colleagues, Harker added that he would continue to be data-dependent.

On the economy front, US growth appears to have picked up in the second quarter, but the latest Markit survey of American manufacturers fell to a weak 50.5 in May and signaled little improvement in a key segment of the economy. The Markit Flash PMI dipped from 50.8 in April, with production declining for the first time since September 2009. That was just a few months after the Great Recession ended. Manufacturers have been hurt by a strong dollar, weak global growth and a plunge in investment from energy companies. Although the dollar has softened and oil prices have risen a bit, manufacturers are still struggling to expand.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 8.01 points or 0.05 percent to 17,492.93, Nasdaq was down by 3.78 points or 0.08 percent to 4,765.78, while S&P 500 dropped 4.28 points or 0.21 percent to 2,048.04.

The Indian ADRs closed mostly in red; Tata Motors was down 0.69%, Infosys was down 0.07% and Wipro was down 0.05%. On the other hand, HDFC Bank was up 0.05% and ICICI Bank was up 0.04%.

About MoneyWorks4Me

MoneyWorks4Me is a SEBI-registered Investment Adviser (IA) dedicated to helping investors build long-term wealth through transparent, research-driven, conflict-free guidance. Founded in 2008, we started our journey as a Research Analyst (RA), providing deep fundamental analysis, intrinsic value insights, and long-term investing frameworks for Indian equities. In 2017, we transitioned to a full-fledged SEBI-registered Investment Adviser, strengthening our commitment to acting as a fiduciary—always putting the investor’s interest first.

Our Vision

To become India’s most trusted, research-powered fiduciary advisory platform—where every investor, regardless of experience, can make calm, confident, and well-reasoned investment decisions.

What Makes MoneyWorks4Me Different

Fiduciary-first advisory model.
As SEBI-registered IAs, we are legally and ethically bound to act in the best interests of our clients. We do not sell or distribute any financial products. This ensures our guidance is 100% unbiased and conflict-free.
Deep fundamental research + robust valuation discipline.
Built on more than 15 years of equity research, our framework combines quality assessment, intrinsic value estimation, and a sensible margin-of-safety approach.
Process—not predictions.
We don’t rely on guesswork or market timing. Instead, we focus on asset allocation, risk management, and long-term compounding.
Technology + Human Intelligence.
We believe a combination of both is essential for investing success. We constantly innovate and upgrade in-house tools, financial X-rays, and portfolio analytics so that our team of analysts and advisors are equipped with the best.
Partner with Clients.
We follow a DIWM (Do-It-With-Me) approach where we partner clients in setting goals, financial planning, educating on our investing process and share decision-enabling resources transparently with our clients who retain control on execution.

Our Approach: Ensuring compounding work its magic on client portfolio.

MoneyWorks4Me ensures this through:

Investing in stocks, mutual funds, debt, and gold
Quality-at-Reasonable-Price way of investing in stocks
Constructing Direct Stock Portfolios with Core, Booster, and Amplifier stocks
A Mutual Fund Portfolio that delivers consistent out-performance and meaningful diversification (low overlap)
Periodic review and rebalancing
Clear Buy-Sell-Hold, and Position-sizing frameworks

Name of the IA registered with SEBI:	The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.
Logo:
Trade/Brand Name of IA:	MoneyWorks4Me Investment Advisers
Brand Logo:
SEBI Registration Number:	INA000013323 Validity – May 16, 2019 – Perpetual
Registration:	Non-Individual
BSE Enlistment No:	1187
Address:	B-101, Signet Corner Building, Balewadi Phata, Baner, Pune, Maharashtra 411045
Compliance officer Details:	Name: Shrikant Jagtap Email: shrikant.jagtap@moneyworks4me.com Telephone: +919860359463 Address: Same as IA
Grievance Officer Details:	Name: Mukta Vaze Email: mukta.vaze@moneyworks4me.com Telephone: +91 98609 19463 Address: Same as IA
Principal Officer Details:	Name: Atharva Bhide Email: atharva.bhide@moneyworks4me.com Telephone: +91 91758 99463 Address: Same as IA
Standard Warning:	Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
Disclaimer:	Registration granted by SEBI, enlistment with exchange and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.