Stock Market Today: Stocks bounce from hawkish Fed rate cut slump

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  • Dec 19, 2024

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U.S. stocks bounced higher in early Thursday trading, while the dollar held near two-year highs and Treasury yields jumped, as markets extended their reaction to yesterday's surprisingly hawkish Federal Reserve rate decision.

Updated at 9:33 AM EST

Rebounding bell

The S&P 500 was marked 52 points, or 0.91% higher in the opening minutes of trading, with the Nasdaq rising 210 points, or 1.08%

The Dow, meanwhile, clawed back around 370 points from last night's 1,100 point slump, while the mid-cap Russell 2000 gaining 26 points, or 1.19%.

Updated at 8:36 AM EST

Still solid

Around 220,000 Americans filed for jobless benefits last week, the Labor Department reported, a 22,000 decline from the prior period and the lowest since early November.

The Commerce Department, meanwhile, lifted its final estimate for third quarter GDP growth to 3.1% from 2.8%, thanks in part to stronger-than-expected consumer spending that offset limp corporate profits.

Stocks extended their premarket gains in the wake of the data, with the S&P 500 called 36 points higher and the Nasdaq priced for a 132 point gain.

Updated at 7:06 AM EST

BoE holds steady

The Bank of England held its key lending rate steady at 4.75% following its final policy meeting in the year, a close decision that reflects the growth and inflation challenges facing the U.K.'s post-Brexit economy.

The 6-3 vote to hold rates unchanged followed a spike in November inflation that paralleled a surprise contraction in the broader economy,.

"With the heightened uncertainty in the economy we can't commit to when or by how much we will cut rates in the coming year," BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement.

Stock Market Today

The S&P 500 slumped to a one-month low by the close of trading Wednesday, giving back nearly 3% from the prior session and shedding around $1.8 trillion in market value in the wake of the Fed's final rate cut of the year.

The selloff, the biggest post-Fed decline on record, was tied to the central bank's forecast of just two rate cuts through the whole of 2025, around half their September estimate. The move came amid what it called "somewhat elevated" inflation and a resilient domestic economy.

"The Fed meeting brought back some unwanted clouds of uncertainty over monetary policy next year," said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial in Charlotte.

"At a minimum, market expectations have shifted toward a shallower- and slower-than-anticipated rate-cutting cycle," he added. "Technically, the near-term risk remains to the upside for 10-year Treasury yields, creating a likely headwind for stocks."

Benchmark 10-year note yields, which were trading at around 4.391% prior to the Fed decision yesterday, were last marked at 4.522% in overnight trading, with 2-year notes trading at 4.319%.

The U.S. dollar index, which surged to a two-year high against a basket of its global peers following yesterday's rate cut, was last marked 0.13% lower at 107.892.

Heading into the start of the trading day on Wall Street, stock futures suggest a modest rebound from last night's selloff, with contracts tied to the S&P 500 priced for a 13-point opening-bell gain.

Related: Fed rate cut bets crumble after December policy meeting

Those linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which at last night's close extended its losing streak to 10 sessions, the longest since 1974, are priced for an 85-point advance. The tech-focused Nasdaq is called 50 points higher.

Stocks on the move include Micron Technology ( MU ) , which slumped 15% in premarket trading following a disappointing near-term outlook for the memory chip market in last night's quarterly report.

FedEx ( FDX ) shares were also active, rising 0.11% ahead of the package delivery group's fiscal-second-quarter earnings after the closing bell.

In overseas markets, Europe's Stoxx 600 was marked 1.33% lower in Frankfurt in a follow-on move to last night's selloff on Wall Street, while Britain's FTSE 100 was marked 1.4% lower ahead of today's Bank of England rate decision.

More Wall Street Analysts:

Overnight in Asia, the Bank of Japan left its benchmark lending rate unchanged at its final policy meeting of the year, with Governor Kazuo Ueda hinting that rate hikes in January are unlikely, sending the yen sharply lower against the dollar.

The Nikkei 225 closed 0.69% lower while the regionwide MSCI ex-Japan benchmark fell 1.4% into the close of trading.

Related: Veteran fund manager delivers alarming S&P 500 forecast