US markets slip on Fed stimulus tapering concern

17 Aug 2013 Evaluate

The US markets edged lower on Friday, handing the Dow Jones Industrial Average its worst week this year, with investors on uncertain footing after economic data boosted speculation that Federal Reserve will reduce stimulus. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher, one of the Fed’s most vocal critics of bond purchases by the central bank, stated that government bond yields are rising amid recognition the buying will eventually end. The Fed should taper purchases next month if economic reports remain favorable, Fisher added, pointing that employment is picking up and the housing market has turned. On the economy front, the US workers and businesses improved their productivity in the April-to-June period following two straight negative quarters. The Labor Department stated that productivity rose at a 0.9% annual rate in the second quarter. This follows revised 1.7% declines in both the first quarter of 2013 and the last three months of 2012. Even with the pickup in the second quarter, productivity was flat over the past four quarters, matching the pace of the first quarter. This is the slowest growth since the fourth quarter of 2008.

Besides, construction on new US homes bounced back in July, led by volatile apartment starts, while starts for single-family home declined. Construction on new US homes rose 5.9% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 896,000. However, US consumers, bracing for higher interest rates and slightly slower economic growth, were a bit less optimistic in August as sentiment retreated from last month's six-year high, a survey released. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s preliminary reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment slipped to 80.0 from 85.1 in July, the highest since July 2007. The initial read of the University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer sentiment fell to 80.0 this month, down from 85.1 in July, according to published reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 30.72 points or 0.20 percent to 15,081.50, the S&P 500 was down 5.49 points or 0.33 percent to 1,655.83, while the Nasdaq dropped by 3.34 points or 0.09 percent to 3,602.78.

Indian ADRs closed in red on Friday; ICICI Bank was down 1.83%, HDFC Bank was down 0.96%, Infosys was down 0.49%, Dr. Reddy’s Lab was down 0.43% and Sterlite Industries was down 0.36%.

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