US stock index edges higher; markets digest Fed rate cut, Trump 2.0

U.S. stock index edged slightly higher on Friday, hovering near record highs as markets processed the Federal Reserve's stance on future rate cuts.

At 10:13 ET (3:13 GMT), Dow Jones rose 0.3%, S&P 500 gained 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 fell 0.2%.

The Wall Street indices received a hefty boost earlier this week after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election earlier this week, opening the door for more potentially expansionary policies in the coming years. 

The S&P 500 rose 0.7% on Thursday, while the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.5%, both to record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended flat, although it remained in sight of a record high.

All three of the major averages are on track for strong weekly gains, with the S&P 500 and the Dow higher by around 4%. The Nasdaq is the outperformer, gaining 5.6%  through Thursday’s close. Fed flags cautious outlook on future easing

The Fed cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4.5% to 4.75% on Thursday, as widely expected.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the results of the presidential election would have no near-term impact on monetary policy. But he reiterated that the Fed will maintain a data-driven approach to further easing, although he did note that inflation was cooling in line with the Fed’s outlook, while economic growth remained healthy. 

Powell’s comments on the economy offered some bullish cues to markets, helping quell concerns over a slowdown in growth in the coming months. But it still remained unclear just how much further interest rates will fall, and what a neutral rate will look like, although Powell had earlier said the neutral rate would be relatively higher. 

Traders were seen pricing in a 76.1% chance the Fed will cut rates by another 25 basis points in December, and a 23.9% chance rates will remain unchanged, CME Fedwatch showed.  Look to buy US stocks now - BofA

Companies likely to be in the spotlight on Friday, include home rental company Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB ), fintech firm Block (NYSE:SQ ) and cloud computing company Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ:AKAM ).  

US equities recorded their largest single-day inflow in five months on Wednesday, as Donald Trump was announced the winner of the presidential election, with $20 billion flowing into the market, according to Bank of America.

According to BofA strategists led by Michael Hartnett, the period from the US election through Inauguration Day presents what he describes as “a risk-on window of opportunity” for US stocks.

Hartnett suggests that investors favor sectors expected to benefit from potential Trump-era policies, including financials, REITs, and small caps, with an emphasis on those less exposed to long-duration debt risks. Crude on course for weekly gains

Crude prices fell Friday, but were still on course for hefty weekly gains, helped by a group of top producers delaying plans to increase production, as well as the prospect of more supply disruptions.

By 10:13 ET, the U.S. crude futures (WTI) dropped 2.8% to $70.31 a barrel, while the Brent contract fell 2.5% to $73.77 a barrel.

For the week, both contracts are set to gain around 2%.

The market was supported this week by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+, stating that it will delay plans to begin increasing production from December, as well as  expected actions by the incoming Trump administration, such as tighter sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.

Caution over Hurricane Rafael also buoyed oil prices this week, but the storm, which has caused around 400,000 barrels per day of US crude oil production to be shut, is now expected to move away from the critical areas over the weekend.

 

(Peter Nurse and Ambar Warrick contributed to this article.)

Source: Investing.com