US markets end lower as inflation data reignites interest rate worries

11 Apr 2024 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower with losses of around a percent each on Wednesday, with the Dow falling to its lowest closing level in almost two months, as inflation data reignites interest rate worries. A Labor Department report showed that U.S. consumer prices advanced by slightly more than expected in the month of March. The Labor Department said consumer prices climbed by 0.4 percent in March, matching the increase seen in February. Street had expected consumer prices to rise by 0.3 percent. Excluding prices for food and energy, core consumer prices still rose by 0.4 percent for the third consecutive month. Core consumer prices were also expected to increase by 0.3 percent. The report also said the annual rate of consumer price growth accelerated to 3.5 percent in March from 3.2 percent in February. Street had expected a more modest acceleration to 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, the annual rate of core consumer price growth came in at 3.8 percent in March, unchanged from February. Core price growth was expected to slow to 3.7 percent.

Treasury yields surged in reaction to the report, with the yield on the benchmark ten-year note spiking above 4.50 percent for the first time since mid-November. According to a private report, following the release of the data, the chances of a rate cut in June have plunged to just 16.5 percent. Meanwhile, the minutes of the central bank's latest monetary policy meeting revealed Fed officials were already not convinced inflation is moving sustainably down to 2 percent after January and February readings on core and headline inflation had been firmer than expected. On the sectoral front, interest rate-sensitive housing and commercial real estate stocks turned in some of the worst performances on the day, with the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index plunging by 4.3 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively. Energy stocks were among the few groups to buck the downtrend, moving modestly higher as the price of crude oil jumped amid geopolitical concerns.

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 422.16 points or 1.09 percent to 38,461.51, Nasdaq fell 136.28 points or 0.84 percent to 16,170.36 and S&P 500 was down by 49.27 points or 0.95 percent to 5,160.64. 

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