Tuesday closed with a significant stock market recovery as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) embarked on its latest policy meeting, while investors closely scrutinized the state of the IPO market in the aftermath of the high-profile debut of Instacart on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) experienced marginal declines of approximately 0.2%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) saw a slight drop of about 0.3%, equivalent to 106 points.
At 10:30 a.m., the Federal Open Market Committee convened its meeting, placing a spotlight on the trajectory of interest rates in light of the Fed’s efforts to combat inflation.
With the CME FedWatch Tool indicating a 99% likelihood that the Fed will maintain current rates, much attention is focused on remarks by Fed Chair Jerome Powell regarding the November meeting, as well as any fresh insights from the updated Summary of Economic Projections, commonly referred to as the “dot plot.”
Goldman Sachs’ chief US economist, David Mericle, asserted in a research note that Fed officials have signaled a cautious approach, leaving the funds rate target range at 5.25-5.5% for the September meeting. He noted that the pivotal question for markets revolves around whether the median dot will project an additional hike to 5.5-5.75% later this year, likely in November. Mericle anticipated a narrow majority in favor of this move, partly for strategic flexibility.
Meanwhile, the market closely tracked Instacart, which commenced trading under the ticker CART on the Nasdaq. The stock rapidly surged by nearly 40% from its initial IPO price of $30 per share. By day’s end, Instacart had relinquished some gains but still boasted a 12% increase.
Instacart, a prominent grocery-delivery chain, garnered an initial valuation of roughly $10 billion. Experts in the IPO arena have suggested that the company’s public market debut could serve as a litmus test for the IPO market’s recovery trajectory.
In the realm of commodities, escalating oil prices drew attention as gas prices reached a fresh high for 2023 on Monday. West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) experienced a modest 0.3% decline on Tuesday, hovering just above $91 per barrel. Similarly, Brent crude (BZ=F) edged down by 0.1% to around $94 per barrel.
Meanwhile, the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike persisted into Tuesday. Late on Monday, the UAW announced its intention to extend the work stoppage to additional plants operated by Stellantis (STLA), GM (GM), and Ford (F) if no headway is made in contract negotiations by Friday.
As the FOMC deliberated on its latest policy decisions, the Instacart IPO marked a pivotal moment in the stock market, reflecting the dynamic interplay of economic forces and investor sentiment. The outcome of both events will undoubtedly resonate across financial markets in the days to come.
Source: Yahoo Finance
