US markets end sharply lower after Fed cuts rates but refrained from promising more

01 Aug 2019 Evaluate

The US markets ended sharply lower with cut of over one percent on Wednesday after the Fed reduced interest rates by quarter point, as expected, but Fed Chairman Jerome Powell signaled the rate cut is not the start of a trend. The Fed said it decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate to 2 to 2-1/4 percent, down 25 basis points from the previous range of 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 percent. This marks the first rate cut by the Fed since December of 2008. The central bank cited implications of global developments for the economic outlook as well as muted inflation pressures as reasons for the rate cut. Powell suggested that rate cut should not be seen as the beginning of a lengthy cutting cycle, adding, ‘That is not what we are seeing now, that is not our perspective now.’ The comments from Powell are likely to anger President Donald Trump, who has been calling on the Fed to slash rates by a full percentage point and claimed on Monday that the central bank has made all of the wrong moves' and that a small rate cut is not enough.

Besides, a report released by payroll processor ADP showed private sector employment in the US increased by slightly more than anticipated in the month of July. ADP said private sector employment climbed by 156,000 jobs in July after rising by an upwardly revised 112,000 jobs in June. Street had expected employment to increase by 150,000 jobs compared to the addition of 102,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month. The report said employment in the service-providing sector jumped by 146,000 jobs, while employment in the goods-producing sector inched up by 9,000 jobs. Meanwhile, MNI Indicators released a report unexpectedly showing a continued contraction in Chicago-area business activity in the month of July. The report said the Chicago business barometer tumbled to 44.4 in July from 49.7 in June, with a reading below 50 indicating a contraction in regional business activity. The continued decrease came as a surprise to participants, who had expected the business barometer to edge back above 50 to 50.6.

Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 333.75 points or 1.23 percent to 26864.27, Nasdaq dropped 98.19 points or 1.19 percent to 8175.42 and S&P 500 was down by 32.80 points or 1.09 percent to 2980.38.

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