US stock indexes closed with minor losses on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve unexpectedly cut interest rates by 50 basis points, the upper limit of expectations for the first rate change in four years. Investors were expecting the Fed's move, but their reactions to the decision were mixed.
The trading session was jittery. The S&P 500 had been moving up and down, showing little change, before the Fed's decision. After the rate cut was announced, the index rose 1%, but then weakened again and closed with losses. The Dow Jones index saw similar swings, reaching an intraday high, but then, like the S&P 500, ending the day lower.
The Federal Reserve justified its decision by citing "high confidence" that inflation is moving toward its 2% target. The Fed's policy focus now is on maintaining the resilience of the labor market, which remains the focus of economists. The half-percentage-point rate cut was a key step in that direction.
"The Fed has signaled that they are serious about cutting rates by 50 basis points and will likely continue to do so through the end of the year," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management in Wisconsin. In his opinion, such a move indicates the Fed's intention to stabilize the unemployment rate at 4.4% and return inflation to target levels.
Over the past few days, markets have been unable to decide on the forecasts for the size of the rate cut. According to the FedWatch tool from CME, the probability of a 25 basis point cut was estimated at 65% last week. However, by the time the Fed's decision was announced on Wednesday, the probability of a larger 50 basis point cut had already reached 57%.
US stock indices ended trading in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 103.08 points, which amounted to 0.25%, ending the day at 41,503.10. The S&P 500 lost 16.32 points, or 0.29%, to close at 5,618.26. The Nasdaq Composite also lost ground, losing 54.76 points, or 0.31%, to 17,573.30.
Investors in the market are already bracing for the Federal Reserve to cut rates by at least 25 basis points at its November meeting. In fact, analysts are predicting a 35% chance that the Fed could cut rates by as much as 50 basis points.
"What amazes me is that even when markets get what they think they want, their appetites continue to grow," said Steve Sosnick, chief market strategist at Interactive Brokers in Connecticut. He points out that despite expectations, stocks are not showing significant growth after the news, which may be due to the fact that the good news is already partially priced in after the previous seven-day rally.
Recall that the cost of borrowing in the US has reached record levels in the last two decades, starting in July 2023, when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 5.25% to 5.50% to combat inflation. This was the latest increase in a series of Fed decisions aimed at slowing inflationary pressures.
After the latest rate cut, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell noted that there is no immediate need for urgent action. This statement indicates a more cautious approach to further changes in monetary policy, which signals a stabilization of the pace of rate cuts.
Small-cap stocks, traditional winners in a low-interest-rate environment, showed solid gains. The Russell 2000 index, which tracks such stocks, rose 2.44% on the day, though it ended the day with a modest gain of 0.04%. That performance allowed it to outperform the larger-cap indices.
Regional banks, which have been under pressure from high interest rates in recent times, have also shown a recovery. The KBW index, which tracks their activity, jumped 3.53% during trading and ended the session with a gain of 0.46%. This growth shows that banks are adapting to changing market conditions.
Stock markets have shown significant gains in 2023, with all three key indices reaching record highs. Lower inflation and signs of a cooling labor market have inspired confidence that the period of high interest rates may gradually end, supporting optimism among investors.
One of the market's top gainers was Intuitive Machines, which rose an impressive 38.3%. The jump came after the announcement of a $4.8 billion contract with NASA to provide navigation services for space missions, boosting investor interest.
On the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), advancers outpaced decliners by a 1.14-to-1 ratio, while on the Nasdaq the ratio was 1.36-to-1, showing that positive sentiment remains despite volatility.
The S&P 500 has posted 43 new highs over the past 52 weeks and no new lows. The Nasdaq Composite has been even more impressive, with 165 new highs and 69 new lows, underscoring investor confidence in the upside.
Trading activity on US exchanges was also above average. The volume of transactions amounted to 11.63 billion shares, which is higher than the average of 10.82 billion shares over the past 20 trading days.
The US central bank went for a more significant cut in the overnight rate than expected, reducing it by 0.5%, as opposed to the traditional 0.25%. This decision is based on the regulator's confidence that inflation will continue to move towards the target level of 2%. The new rate, which determines how much banks pay each other for short-term loans, is now in the range of 4.75%-5.00%, which is in line with market expectations.
After the Federal Reserve's announcement, the S&P 500 index initially rose by 1%, but then lost momentum and ended the day 0.29% lower, stopping at 5618.26. The move shows that despite investors' positive expectations, the market is not ready for a sharp rally.
"While markets got what they wanted, stocks have yet to see a significant rally. After seven straight days of gains, a lot of the positive news has already been priced in," said Steve Sosnick, chief market strategist at Interactive Brokers. His comment underscores the sentiment among market participants who may have expected more from the rate cuts.
The overnight rate was at its highest since July 2023, when the Fed continued to fight inflation with rate hikes. That made borrowing costs the highest in two decades, putting pressure on both consumers and businesses.
The MSCI World Equity Index hit a new high during the session but was unable to hold on, falling 0.29% to 826.29, reflecting the global reaction to the Fed's move and uncertainty about where markets are headed.
The dollar index, which tracks the value of the US currency against major global currencies such as the yen and euro, initially weakened on the news of the rate cut. However, it later strengthened slightly, rising 0.07% to 100.98, reflecting volatility in currency markets and investors' eagerness to adapt to the new monetary policy.
While the Federal Reserve's actions were in line with expectations for many market participants, the reaction to the rate cut was muted, indicating that investors are still weighing the longer-term implications and potential future moves by the regulator.
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