US markets end lower on Wednesday

09 Feb 2023 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Wednesday as some traders looked to cash in Tuesday's gains, which came amid a positive reaction to comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell acknowledged recent indications of easing inflation but noted that the disinflationary process has a long way to go and cautioned further interest rate hikes could be needed. The positive sentiment generated in reaction to Powell's comments was partly offset by remarks by New York Fed President John Williams, who said interest rates may need to be kept at an elevated level for a few years to bring down inflation. Overall trading activity was somewhat subdued, however, with a relatively light economic calendar keeping some traders on the sidelines.

Reports on initial jobless claims and consumer sentiment are likely to attract attention in the coming days, with the consumer sentiment report including readings on inflation expectations. On the sectoral front, Semiconductor stocks turned in some of the market's worst performances on the day, resulting in a 2.2 percent slump by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Considerable weakness was also visible among interest rate-sensitive utilities stocks, as reflected by the 1.7 percent drop by the Dow Jones Utility Average. The average fell to its lowest closing level in almost three months. Housing stocks also showed a significant move to the downside, dragging the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index down by 1.6 percent.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 207.68 points or 0.61 percent to 33,949.01, Nasdaq dropped 203.27 points or 1.68 percent to 11,910.52 and S&P 500 was down by 46.14 points or 1.11 percent to 4,117.86.

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