US markets fell on taper worries

04 Dec 2013 Evaluate

The US markets fell on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining for a third straight day on uncertainty over when the Federal Reserve will begin to scale back stimulus. A decision by a Michigan judge to allow Detroit’s bankruptcy to proceed over the objections of unions and retirees added selling pressure on concerns it could set a precedent for other municipalities. Meanwhile, John Williams, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank stated that the Federal Reserve should only taper when it is completely confident the economy is on the right track. John Williams was concerned that markets are not getting the Fed’s message that interest rates will stay low even after the Fed ends the asset purchase program. Williams is seen as a close ally of Janet Yellen, who is expected to take over for Ben Bernanke as Fed chairman early next year.

There were some encouraging reports on the economic front. US car sales have clocked their fastest pace in nearly seven years as holiday deals boosted already strong demand. The automotive industry has been steadily climbing out of a deep and painful downturn after the 2008 financial crisis sent sales spiraling to levels not seen in decades. Total industry sales jumped nine percent from November 2012 and hit an annualized pace of 16.4 million vehicle. That’s up substantially from the 15.2 million pace set in October and the fastest pace since February 2007. Besides, US home prices rose 0.2% in October, representing 12.5% year-on-year growth. Excluding distressed sales, prices are up 0.4% on a monthly basis and 11% year-on-year. The CoreLogic pending home-price index indicates that November 2013 home prices, including distressed sales, are expected to remain at the same level month over month as October 2013, with a projected increase of 12.2% on a year-over-year basis.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 94.15 points or 0.59 percent to 15,914.60, the S&P 500 was down 5.75 points or 0.32 percent to 1,795.15 and Nasdaq slipped 8.06 points or 0.20 percent to 4,037.20.

Indian ADRs closed in red on Tuesday; ICICI Bank was down 0.94%, Dr. Reddy’s Lab was down 0.50%, Infosys was down 0.35%, Tata Motors was down by 0.32% and HDFC Bank was down 0.13%.

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