US markets settle higher on Wednesday

08 Jul 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Wednesday as the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting signaled the central bank will not be in a hurry to begin scaling back its asset purchase program. The minutes of the June meeting reiterated Fed Chair Jerome Powell's view that substantial further progress towards the goals of maximum employment and price stability has not yet been met. The Fed has repeatedly said it plans to continue to its asset purchases at a rate of at least $120 billion per month until substantial further progress has been made toward its goals. While various participants expect conditions for beginning to reduce the pace of asset purchases to be met somewhat earlier than they had previously anticipated, others saw incoming data as providing a less clear signal about the underlying economic momentum.

The minutes said some participants determined the Fed would be able to make a better assessment in the coming months and emphasized the central bank should be patient in assessing progress toward its goals and in announcing changes to its plans for asset purchases. The Fed said participants agreed to continue assessing the economy's progress toward the central banks goals at coming meetings and to begin to discuss their plans for adjusting the path and composition of asset purchases. In addition, the Fed said participants reiterated their intention to provide notice well in advance of an announcement to reduce the pace of purchases.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 104.42 points or 0.3 percent to 34,681.79, Nasdaq gained 1.42 points or 0.01 percent to 14,665.06 and S&P 500 was up by 14.59 points or 0.34 percent to 4,358.13.

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