US markets end lower on Wednesday

21 Sep 2023 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced its widely expected decision to leave interest rates unchanged but raised its forecast for rates at the end of next year. The Fed said it decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25 to 5.50 percent after raising rates by 25 basis points in July. However, the central bank's latest projections suggest Fed officials expect one more rate hike this year, forecasting a median rate of 5.6 percent by the end of 2023. While the forecast for the end of the year was unchanged from June, the latest projections also indicate officials expect rates to remain higher for longer than previously anticipated.

The forecast for rates at the end of 2024 was raised to 5.1 percent from 4.6 percent in June, while the outlook for rates at the end of 2025 was increased to 3.9 percent from 3.4 percent. Expectations for rates to remain higher for longer may reflect an improved assessment of the economy, with the Fed's statement saying economic activity has been expanding at a 'solid pace' compared to the 'moderate pace' described in July. On sectoral front, Semiconductor stocks showed a significant move to the downside, dragging the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down by 1.7 percent to its lowest closing level in almost four months. Software and networking stocks also saw considerable weakness on the day, contributing to the steep drop by the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Weakness also emerged among energy stocks, while gold stocks saw notable strength amid an increase by the price of the precious metal.

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76.85 points or 0.22 percent to 34,440.88, Nasdaq fell 209.06 points or 1.53 percent to 13,469.13 and S&P 500 was down by 41.75 points or 0.94 percent to 4,402.2.


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