US markets end sharply higher following Fed decision to aggressively wind down asset purchases

16 Dec 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended sharply higher after the Fed announced its widely expected decision to accelerate the pace of reductions to its asset purchases program. Citing inflation developments and further improvement in the labor market, the Fed said it has decided to reduce the monthly pace of its net asset purchases by $30 billion per month, double the previously announced $15 billion per month. Beginning in January, the Fed will increase its holdings of Treasury securities by at least $40 billion per month and of agency mortgage-backed securities by at least $20 billion per month. The $60 billion per month in asset purchases is half the $120 billion per month the Fed bought from June 2020 to October 2021. The Fed said it expects similar reductions in the pace of net asset purchases will likely be appropriate each month, pointing to an end to the program next March.

Meanwhile, the Fed also announced its widely expected decision to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at zero to 0.25 percent. The Fed noted inflation has exceeded its 2 percent target for some time but predicted interest rates will remain at near-zero levels until labor market conditions have reached levels consistent with its assessments of maximum employment. The central bank's latest projections forecast as many three rate hikes in 2022 compared to the lone rate hike forecast in September. On the sectoral front, Semiconductor stocks moved sharply higher over the course of the session, driving the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index up by 3.7 percent. Substantial strength also emerged among networking stocks, as reflected by the 3.1 percent spike by the NYSE Arca Networking Index.

Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 383.25 points or 1.08 percent to 35,927.43, Nasdaq gained 327.94 points or 2.15 percent to 15,565.58 and S&P 500 was up by 75.76 points or 1.63 percent to 4,709.85.

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