Many market optimists had hoped that the U.S. Federal Reserve's (Fed) message on September 20 would support their faith for further upside rally on Wall Street. Instead, Fed members completed the mission to cause a drop of the S&P 500 broad indicator to the deepest point of the month.
Big techs like Apple, Google and Microsoft lost between two and three percent of their value this Wednesday. The hyping AI-led NVIDIA stocks closed the day at their lowest since August correction. Even Tesla ultimately turned to the red, despite its shares prices initially gaining nearly 2.
The market sentiment generally looks neither bearish, nor bullish ahead of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) message. It is still rather neutral but nervous, as investors are preparing to interpret the statement of the world's most influential financial regulator via its updated interest rate and economic projections. A rate hike pause on September 20 may seem to be a done deal. However, the essence of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) forecast for the near future may shake the foundations of the “Fed almost done” pillar, which was at the heart of the summer rally.
Major stock indices on both sides of the Atlantic were mostly reluctant to the latest U.S. consumer inflation data for August. Even though many in the expert community hoped that it would give a clue to interest rate projections following the Federal Reserve's (Fed) meeting on September 20, the investing crowd hardly thinks so. FedWatch tool still shows only 55% to 60% betting on the Fed's holding longer pause at least until the end of 2023, while 37% to 40% expecting another small 0.25% rate hike in November or December, with 5% being ready for those hawkish moves even twice in a row.
Only a week remains before the U.S. Federal Reserve's (Fed) policy decision on September 20. Therefore, its governors entered a blackout period when no one of them is ready to make public comments. FedWatch tool clearly shows that more than 90% of investors are betting on a central bankers' pause this time, but the number of sceptics for November and December is hovering around 50%, give or take 10%.
Investors on Wall Street are awaiting for a consumer inflation data from the U.S.
The Wall Street sentiment made a sharp turn in the second half of the week. A sudden slump of Apple shares dragged down the S&P 500 back to test the strength of its major technical support area closer to 4,400-4,425.
The iPhone maker lost more than 7.5% of its market value during two trading sessions on September 6-7, which varied greatly and did not conform to previously positive moves ahead of its annual “Wonderlust" event which is scheduled for next Tuesday. Apple stocks traded at nearly $190 per share last Friday slid below $175 before.
British Petroleum (BP), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX) and other oil industry leaders’ stock prices hit their highs since the end of April. This happened in the first days of autumn as a response to Russia's intentions to extend its export cuts by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, following 500,000 bpd production cuts that are valid throughout the end of 2023. Its deputy prime minister alexander Novak said the move was coordinated with Saudi Arabia and other members of the OPEC+ informal community of oil exporting countries.
Cooling of labour demand in America has become evident from the recent incoming data in the United States. Ironically, softer than expected data became a real pain-killer for the market sentiment, as it revitalised some faded crowd's expectations for the Federal Reserve (Fed) to make an extended rest stop in its rate-hiking cycle this autumn and winter.
China-related stocks' rebound after Beijing's attempts to support its previously cracked down market provided a limited aid to Wall Street indexes and industries in both the U.S. and Europe earlier in the week. 3M Company's share price added more than 6% after it ultimately agreed to pay $6 billion to settle nearly 260,000 lawsuits, which accused the giant company on selling defective combat earplugs. Hearing loss has affected thousands of U.S. military service members.
Best Buy stocks jumped nearly 3.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) soared by nearly 8.5% in after-hours trade late August 23 on after a chipmaker's Q3 report and especially its stronger than expected forecasts for the rest of the year. It was a new all-time record for the market value of NVIDIA as surely the main company of the hyping AI rally. The Wall Street's opening bell on Thursday found the stock "only" 6.5% higher than the closing price of the previous trading day, and then NVIDIA price slid to keep only a couple percent compared to its much more remarkable night time growth.
Stocks related to artificial intelligence (AI) and certain other tech behemoths formed a separate group of issuers, which are performing a rebound this week. And not even all potential candidates participated in that drastic leap. For the most part, a narrow band of market heroes like Microsoft and Tesla. On the contrary, those giants who have recently taken off well due to successful quarterly reports, like Google and Amazon, joined the general correction of Wall Street making the S&P 500 broad barometer testing its lower levels between 4,350 and 4,400.