US stock markets exhibit minimal growth preceding the Federal Reserve's call.
Kicking off the week, the financial epicenter of Wall Street recommends a bit of patience. Why you ask? Simple, on Wednesday we'll witness the release of new inflation statistics. This has market participants feeling wary, keeping stock prices relatively steady.
From Monday night, investors were anticipating significant events ahead, so they went all in. The Dow Jones Index clocked a 0.2% increase, nudging it to 38,868 points. The S&P 500 broadened its stance by 0.3%, hitting 5,360 positions, while the Nasdaq tech exchange saw a 0.4% rise, reaching 17,192 positions.
The market is keen to hear from the US Federal Reserve following significant monetary policy announcements in the following weeks. Trading in currencies is taking place to keep a lid on fast-rising consumer prices and to cool off a surging job market - all in the bid to raise interest rates. According to Quincy Krosby, Chieftain Strategist at LPL Financial stationed in North Carolina, this is a pivotal seven days for the market, as we await comments and dispatches from the Fed.
After a strong employment report in the US last week, some investors are understandably apprehensive. Peter Andersen, brainchild of Andersen Capital Management, stated, "Everyone hoped for a lucid depiction of the market situation. Instead, we received a perplexing jump in the jobless rate in exchange for a dense number of positions created." Jason Pride, Chief Strategist at Glenmede, summarized the issue by considering, "We anticipate that this week's inflation report will only add to this perplexity."
The potential for a spending fest during the summer vacation has been driving up the price of oil. Two types of oil, North Sea Brent and US WTI, observed a 3% hike each. Per Tamas Varga, an oil analyst at PVM Oil, "Investors disregard the Euro's weakness and the linked dollar robustness from the recent French elections."
Euro takes a hit from European election
The Euro went down by approximately half a percent to $1.0761 on Monday - its low point since early April. The culprit behind this dip? The European election. The right-wing National Rally (RN) was declared the winner in France, and in Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) made its way to the top two. Other EU countries also shared the stage with similar right-wing populist and right-wing extremist groups.
As for individual U.S. stocks, Apple experienced a drop in value. The shares decreased by 1.9% as intense scrutiny fell upon statements made by Apple at their developer conference. Word on the street is that Apple is partnering with OpenAI to integrate its AI into smartphones.
AMD's stock market performance saw a downturn. The chipmaker's share price dropped by 4.5%, reflecting a downgrade of the labels by Morgan Stanley's team of experts. No worries for our colleagues at Southwest Airlines, though, as Elliott Investment Management revealed a $1.9 billion investment in the company - Southwest Airlines shares soared 7% in response.
