US markets end in red on Friday

21 Oct 2023 Evaluate

Extending their previous sessions’ southward journey, the US markets ended in red on Friday with Nasdaq falling over one and half a percent amid ongoing concerns about the recent surge in treasury yields to sixteen-year highs. The yield on the benchmark ten-year note climbed above 5 percent for the first time since July 2007 but has given back ground since then. The recent advance by yields reflects continued worries about the outlook for interest rates, with the Federal Reserve signaling rates will remain higher for longer than previously anticipated. Meanwhile, during a speech on Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell described inflation as still too high and warned additional monetary policy tightening may be needed. Powell also reiterated Fed officials are willing to keeping policy restrictive until they are confident inflation is on a downward path.

Some cautiousness also prevailed among market participants amid fears that the Israel-Hamas war may escalate into a broader regional crisis. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops gathered at the Gaza border on Thursday that they would soon see the Palestinian enclave from inside. Additionally, reports emerged that U.S. troops are being targeted at several military bases across Iraq and Syria, while a U.S. Navy warship destroyed cruise missiles and drones fired toward Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen. On the sectoral front, banking stocks showed a substantial move to the downside on the day, dragging the KBW Bank Index down by 3.1 percent to a five-month closing low. Significant weakness was also visible among oil service stocks, as reflected by the 2.3 percent slump by the Philadelphia Oil Service Index.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 286.89 points or 0.86 percent to 33,127.28, Nasdaq dropped 202.37 points or 1.53 percent to 12,983.81 and S&P 500 was down by 53.84 points or 1.26 percent to 4,224.16. 

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