US markets settle lower on Tuesday

21 Feb 2024 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Tuesday with Nasdaq settling cut of around one percent. The weakness on markets reflected ongoing anxiety about the outlook for interest rates following last week's hotter-than-expectation inflation data. CME Group's FedWatch Tool is indicating just an 8.5 percent chance the Federal Reserve will lower rates by a quarter point in March, while the chances of a quarter point rate cut in early May have fallen to 33.8 percent. The Fed may provide additional insight into the outlook for interest rates with the release of the minutes of its latest monetary policy meeting on Wednesday. Chief Economist for Comerica Bank Bill Adams said ‘The minutes of the Federal Reserve's January Federal Open Market Committee meeting may clarify how much more good data the Fed's policymakers want to see before starting to reduce interest rates.’

On the sectoral front, Steel stocks showed a significant move to the downside, with the NYSE Arca Steel Index tumbling by 1.9 percent after ending last Friday's trading at its best closing level in well over a month. Significant weakness was also visible among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 1.6 percent loss posted by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) plunged by 4.4 percent ahead of the release of the chipmaker's quarterly results after the close of trading on Wednesday. Tobacco, oil producer and transportation stocks also saw notable weakness, moving lower along with most of the other major sectors.

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 64.19 points or 0.17 percent to 38,563.8, Nasdaq fell 144.87 points or 0.92 percent to 15,630.78 and S&P 500 was down by 30.06 points or 0.6 percent to 4,975.51. 


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