Stock market today: Most of Wall Street edges lower after Fed delivers a big cut to rates

NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes edged lower Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kicked off its efforts to prevent a recession with a bigger-than-usual cut to interest rates.

Because the move was so well telegraphed, and because markets had already climbed so much in anticipation of it, Wall Street’s reactions were relatively muted despite the Fed’s historic action. It marked the first cut to the federal funds rate in over four years, and it closed the door on a stretch where the Fed kept rates at a two-decade high to slow the economy enough to stifle the worst inflation in generations.

The only question is how much the Fed will ultimately cut rates by to do so, which can prove to be a tricky balance. Lowering rates would help the economy by making it easier for U.S. businesses and households to borrow. But it could also offer more fuel for inflation. “We don’t think we’re behind,” Powell said in a press conference following the Fed’s announcement. “We think this is timely. But I think you can take this as a sign of our commitment not to get behind,” pointing to Wednesday’s hefty cut of half a percentage point. Powell called it a “good strong start to this.”

“We’ll move as fast or as slow as we think is appropriate in real time,” he said. For now, he said, “the U.S. economy is in a good place, and our decision today is designed to keep it there.” On Wall Street, Intuitive Machines soared 38.3% after NASA awarded it with a contract worth up to $4.82 billion for communication and navigation services the space agency will use to establish a long-term presence on the moon.

South Africa South Africa Latest News, South Africa South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Stock market today: Wall Street opens lower, pulling the Dow below its record highNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street, pulling the Dow Jones Industrial Average a bit below the record high it set a day earlier. The Dow gave back 63 points in the first few minutes of trading Tuesday, or 0.1%.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Stock market today: Losses for Big Tech companies lead Wall Street lowerLosses for several big technology companies pulled the stock market lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% Wednesday, weighed down by drops in Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4%.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Stock market today: Wall Street extends losses as technology and energy stocks fallStocks lost more ground on Wall Street Wednesday, led by declines in the technology and energy sectors. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Wednesday, following a 2.1% drop a day earlier. The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.3%.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Stock market today: Wall Street climbs ahead of speech by Fed chief PowellNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are climbing on Wall Street, but the market’s focus is thousands of miles to the west, where the head of the Federal Reserve is about to give a highly anticipated speech about interest rates. The S&P 500 was 0.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Stock market today: Wall Street wavers in morning trading following worst day in a monthNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are wavering in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday, a day after the market’s worst performance in a month. The S&P 500 is mostly unchanged following a 2.1% drop a day earlier.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Stock market today: Wall Street holds near records after an 8-day winning streakNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are holding near their record levels following an eight-day winning streak. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »